“To me, my X-Men!” *cue the music*

There are few shows that have had such an enduring impact on superhero fans as the original X-Men: The Animated Series. Responsible for introducing a whole new generation of fans to Marvel’s infamous team of mutants, the 1992 animated series helped turn the likes of Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, Gambit, Rogue and Wolverine into household names long before Hugh Jackman ever strapped on his adamantium claws.

And now, 27 years after the X-Men’s final episode saw a dying Professor Charles Xavier leave Earth to seek healing in the Shi’ar Galaxy, one of pop culture’s most beloved animated properties is blasting its way onto Disney+ on March 20.

Ahead of X-Men ’97’s hotly anticipated debut, we caught up with supervising producer and director Jake Castorena to talk all things mutant and get the low down on the show’s cast, including upcoming Supa-Star Jennifer Hale, who will be joining us at Supanova in Melbourne (6-7 April) and Supanova on the Gold Coast (13-14 April).

No stranger to the superhero game, before taking on Marvel’s most beloved team Castorena honed his craft as an artist and animator working primarily within the DC animated universe. Beginning as a storyboard artist on Batman: Brave and the Bold, the self-professed comic book fan would eventually come to helm some of the old DCAU’s most successful movies including The Death of Superman and Reign of the Supermen.

However, his new role on X-Men ’97 sees him embracing characters from the other side of the pop culture fence, something he relishes with genuine delight. “It’s like having all of my toys and getting to play with them too,” he says with a grin. “I grew up on both comics, right? Batman: The Animated Series and X-Men: The Animated Series are both absolute staples in my childhood, and my visual development as an artist. My aspirations to be an artist. It’s what got me into comic books. So, for me, working on one just always helped me prepare for the other.”

“It’s funny,” Castorena continues, “because you would think, ‘Oh, superheroes are superheroes.’ [But] the X-Men specifically, it’s such a unique team set because at the end of the day it’s an allegory and always will be an allegory for prejudice. You know that is what is at its core fundamental. And when you take that away from the X-Men, they just kind of become any other sort of superhero team.”

L-R: Jubilee (voiced by Holly Chou), Morph (voiced by JP Karliak), Wolverine (voiced by Cal Dodd), Storm (voiced by Alison Sealy-Smith), Cyclops (voiced by Ray Chase), Rogue (voiced by Lenore Zann), Jean Grey (voiced by Jennifer Hale), Gambit (voiced by AJ LaCascio), Bishop (voiced by Isaac Robinson-Smith), and Beast (voiced by George Buza) in Marvel Animation’s X-MEN ’97

Yet while the idea of a series revival nearly 30 years after the original show came to end may appeal to older viewers, Castorena is adamant X-Men ’97 will also appeal to younger viewers who never grew up with the old Saturday morning cartoons.

“What I love about the X-Men,” Castorena gushes, “is that there are so many characters on the roster. So many unique characters and livelihoods and sensibilities. There’s a character for everyone. Everyone can find themselves or identify themselves in some sort of character in the X-Men.

“The hype around the show, that’s just gonna get the younger audiences, the newbies to come into the show. And then ideally, with us doing our jobs in tandem, points them to the OG show too.”

“The creative and wonderful challenge is,” he explains, “how do we keep that nostalgic ‘90s feel but still compete with our friends and colleagues who are pushing the medium of animation? Who are pushing the bar? And so being relevant with all of that right to get to get the new kiddos to come in, but also keep it in that nostalgic sandbox so it feels like the [original] show. That’s our challenge that we have on this show. And I genuinely feel this team, we do it in spades.”

L-R: Beast (voiced by George Buza), Wolverine (voiced by Cal Dodd), Morph (voiced by JP Karliak), Bishop (voiced by Isaac Robinson-Smith), Rogue (voiced by Lenore Zann), Gambit (voiced by AJ LoCascio), Storm (voiced by Alison Sealy-Smith), Cyclops (voiced by Ray Chase) in Marvel Animation’s X-MEN ’97

One key thing helping Castorena and his team capitalise on the nostalgia for the original show is the return of so many OG voice actors. Not only does the series revival feature the return of Alison Sealy-Smith (Storm), Cal Dodd (Wolverine), Lenore Zann (Rogue), George Buza (Beast) and Adrian Hough (Nightcrawler), but it also sees former cast members assuming new roles such as the former voices for Jean Grey, Gambit, Jubilee, and Morph.

“Pinch me. I’m dreaming, right?” Castorena says of the opportunity to work with the original cast. “The thing I can say is every single actor that we met with, for taking on a monumental role [from] the OG cast who are no longer with us, every single artist and actor that is in there, they understand. They understand the pressure and the shoes they have to fill. Not only that, but beyond them rising to the occasion, them being amazing at it.”

One such new addition comes in the form of veteran voice actor Jennifer Hale, who takes over the role of Jean Grey from Catherine Disher (who also returns as Doctor Valarie Cooper). A committed performer with an impressive list of voice credits spanning three decades, according to Castorena, Hale’s ­­X-Men debut has seen her “knocking it out of the park”.

But a talented voice cast is not the only thing fans have to look forward to, and keeping true to the OG show’s penchant for cameo appearances, Castorena hints the revival series will continue to remain faithful this aspect. Describing X-Men: The Animated Series as “the MCU before the MCU”, older fans will fondly recall previous crossovers with other Marvel characters like Spider-Man and Captain America. While the director remained tight lipped about who else the X-Men could potentially cross paths with, he suggested “it’s imperative that we follow that certain DNA”.

The first two episodes of ­X-Men ’97 are set to arrive on Disney+ on March 20, with the remaining episodes being released on a weekly basis. Meanwhile, all five seasons of the original X-Men: The Animated Series are also available on Disney+.

Also, be sure to come and say hello to X-Men ‘97’s Jean Grey when Jennifer Hale joins us at Supanova in Melbourne (6-7 April) and Supanova on the Gold Coast (13-14 April).