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Sailor Moon is the quintessential magical girl anime created by Naoko Takeuchi and published in Kodansha's shojo manga magazine. The series was immediately popular upon its 1992 release, and it still attracts new fans today who enjoy the original anime and manga alongside the current reboot Sailor Moon Crystal. Sailor Moon Crystal is a manga-loyal adaptation that has fewer filler episodes and more streamlined character arcs but the same central characters and plots.

The story of Sailor Moon follows the sweet and precocious protagonist Usagi Tsukino, who transforms into the intergalactic superhero Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon battles cosmic villains and eldritch horrors with the help of her fellow Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Mask. With a sprawling cast of characters spread out across the franchise, it can get hard to keep track of everyone who is introduced. From the first season to Sailor Stars, here is every important character from the original Sailor Moon anime.

Morph saw a huge transformation from their original depiction in X-Men: The Animated Series in 2024's X-Men '97 series. Morph impersonated many iconic Marvel characters as a core member of the X-Men team in X-Men '97. Along with X-Men members Professor X, Jean Grey, and Wolverine, Morph also impersonated Sabretooth, Juggernaut, the Hulk, and more.

Morph turned into many recognizable MCU and Marvel Comics characters in Marvel Animation's X-Men '97, showing off their shape-shifting abilities brilliantly. Adapted from Marvel Comics' Kevin Sydney, a.k.a. Changeling, X-Men '97's Morph saw a huge transformation from their original portrayal in X-Men: The Animated Series back in the 1990s. After X-Men '97's creators confirmed that Morph is now non-binary, the character assumed their more abnormal, bald and pale physical form in X-Men '97, rather than the human male disguise worn by the powerful mutant in X-Men: The Animated Series, and became a more crucial,...

J.P. Karliak is not surprised by backlash over Morph being non-binary, but is happy with counter-backlash from fans. Morph's non-binary status is not likely mentioned in X-Men '97 due to the '90s setting, but still confirmed by Marvel. Controversy over Morph's non-binary status has not impacted the popularity of X-Men '97, getting rave reviews.

X-Men ’97 star J.P. Karliak has shared his view on the backlash the series has received over his character, Morph, being confirmed to be non-binary by Marvel Studios. However, Karliak is not surprised at the discourse seen online, but does feel happy seeing it being countered by other fans.

X-Men '97 AnimationActionAdventure 4.5/5 Release DateMarch 20, 2024CastJennifer Hale, Chris Potter, Ray Chase, George Buza, Catherine Disher, Jp KarliakMain GenreAnimationSeasons1StudioMarvel StudiosFranchiseMarvelStreaming Service(s)Disney Plus

Karliak takes over the role of Morph from original X-Men: The Animated Series actor Ron Rubin in the newly released Disney+ show,...

Backlash over Marvel confirming Morph as non-binary came as no surprise to X-Men '97 voice actor J.P. Karliak.

In X-Men '97, J.P. Karliak provides the voice of Morph, taking over the role from Ron Rubin. Ahead of the show's release, it had been revealed by an official character description by Marvel that Morph is a non-binary character. This generated some criticism on social media, and as Karliak told Cbr's Sam Stone in a new interview, this was not exactly shocking. However, Karliak said he was pleased by how much pushback there was from other fans over this criticism.

Related X-Men '97 Intro Finally Fixes Opening Credit Mistake The X-Men '97 intro has been released online, and it rectifies a glaring error from the original series intro.

When asked if he was surprised by the backlash, Karliak responded, "No. [laughs] I'm a queer activist. I run a nonprofit that advocates for queer representation.

Among the ensemble of the Disney+ series X-Men '97 is Morph, the shape-shifting hero who endured death and resurrection before embarking on a journey of self-discovery and eventually rejoining his friends. Now voiced by J.P. Karliak, Morph comes back with a fresher perspective on who he is, while still trying to find his way amidst the X-Men.

In an interview with Cbr, Karliak shares his own history with the X-Men and personal appreciation for Morph. The veteran voice actor reflects on how the 1990-set show and the character of Morph both speak to modern issues. Karliak also teases his very different role as the Joker in DC's video game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

Related Review: X-Men '97 Premiere a Blast for Old and New Fans Alike The two-episode X-Men '97 premiere is full of nostalgic fun, but the Disney Plus series also offers plenty of excitement for new Marvel mutant fans.

‘X-Men ’97’ premiered yesterday on Disney+ with its first two episodes, and initial reactions have been overwhelmingly positive. The show debuted with a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics hailing it as the “Best Marvel release in years.” Metacritic also awarded the show a high score of 82, signifying “Universal acclaim,” a rare achievement for recent Marvel Studios projects.

The series capitalizes on its biggest strength: being a direct continuation of ‘X-Men: The Animated Series.’ It strives to emulate the characters and animation of its predecessor while presenting a more mature and “raw” plot compared to typical Marvel fare.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Brad Winderbaum disclosed that Kevin Feige had two specific requirements before approving the show.

Alright, if we can get the [original] cast and we can get the song, let’s do it.’ And fortunately, we were able to do that.

Feige recognized that for such a project to succeed,...

‘X-Men ’97’ premiered yesterday with the two first episodes on Disney+ and the first reactions are amazing. The show premiered with 100 % on Rotten Tomatoes with the critics calling it “Best Marvel release in years’ Metacritic gave the show a high 82 score indicating that it earned “Universal acclaim” – a feat that is a rarity in the last few years when it comes to Marvel Studios projects.

The show in large part played on its greatest strength, the fact that it is a direct continuation of the ‘X-Men: The Animated Series’ as it tried to imitate both the characters and animation to a reasonable extent while keeping the plot more mature and “raw” than what we’re used to seeing.

Now speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Brad Winderbaum revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that Kevin Feige had two conditions before he decided to greenlight the show:

Alright, if we can get the...

One of the best things about the X-Men is the vast roster of characters that allow a myriad of people to see themselves as a member of the mutant superhero team. But if you were a kid who wanted to be all of the mutants, you may have gravitated towards Morph, the shapeshifter who could temporarily take on the appearance and superpowers of any other mutant out there. During my childhood years, there was many an argument about who would get the honor of pretending to be Morph on the playground.

Even though Morph (originally voiced by Ron Rubin) seemed to meet his maker in the first episode of the original "X-Men: The Animated Series," the character eventually returned from his presumed grave, albeit under the influence of the villain Mr. Sinister. Morph used his shapeshifting abilities to create chaos among the X-Men on many occasions, but thankfully, he was only acting on Mr.

Two classic characters will have more time to shine in the X-Men: The Animated Series revival.

A direct continuation of X-Men: The Animated Series, X-Men '97 brings back all of the familiar faces featured in the original cartoon. However, it's been confirmed that two of them will be given their "due" after they were somewhat overlooked in the 1990s show. Speaking about the series with Agents of Fandom, executive producer Brad Winderbaum confirmed that both Jubilee and Morph are much more important to the series this time around.

Related X-Men '97 EP Addresses Potential Spider-Man Animated Series Revival Marvel Studios' Brad Winderbaum comments on the possibility of Spider-Man: The Animated Series getting its own revival, X-Men '97 style. Close

“I have to call out, especially in X-Men ’97, both Morph and Jubilee as being two characters that really get their due. They did in the Og series as well, but...

Cedric Smith's absence in X-Men '97 has been addressed.

Brad Winderbaum, one of the show's executive producers and the head of streaming, television and animation at Marvel Studios, spoke about X-Men '97 in ComicBook.com's Phase Zero podcast. He was asked about the switching of voice actors for Professor X, as the character was originally played by Cedric Smith in X-Men: The Animated Series. While X-Men '97 brings back many original voice actors, with some of them reprising the same roles, Smith was not among them. Winderbaum says that the production "had to recast Xavier," and while he didn't name a specific reason why, he suggested that a big part of it had to do with casting prolific voice actor Ross Marquand in the role.

Related X-Men '97's Nonbinary Morph Backlash Addressed by Original Creators The team behind the original animated series addresses the backlash over X-Men '97...

X-Men: The Animated Series legacy lives on with the revival X-Men '97, featuring familiar voices and new talents for fan-favorite characters. Morph underwent significant changes in X-Men: Tas, from being killed off early to being brought back with a darker, morally gray personality. Morph's return in X-Men '97 showcases the character's evolution, now identifying as non-binary with a unique appearance, bringing new depth to the team.

X-Men: The Animated Series endures as a Marvel classic with its comic-accurate character designs, iconic theme music, and some heartbreaking narratives that might have been a bit dark for children’s television. Originally airing on Fox Kids, the legacy of X-Men: The Animated Series continues with the Disney+ revival X-Men ‘97. All the more exciting is that the X-Men ‘97 voice cast finds many returning stars as the fan-favorite characters. At the same time, some of these characters have changed over the years, with...

A new teaser trailer has been released for the anticipated animated series X-Men '97.

Serving as a continuation of X-Men: The Animated Series, X-Men '97 is set to hit Disney+ on March 20. Ahead of the show's premiere, a new teaser trailer has been released that's reminiscent of the era of the original animated series. Featuring VHS-style lines on the screen, the teaser is stylized as an ad from the 1990s, complete with the narrator who sounds straight from the era. It's an effective way of teasing the nostalgic vibe of the new show. The new teaser can be watched below.

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Related X-Men '97 Gets a Record-Breaking Episode Count on Disney+ The upcoming animated series X-Men '97 has set a new record for Marvel and Disney+. Close

Beau DeMayo developed X-Men '97, and the new series brings back a slew of cast members from X-Men: The Animated Series. This includes...

Spring is now only a few weeks away, and this March at Disney+, a red rose is growing up out of ice frozen ground!

Probably the biggest title on the House of Mouse streamer’s calendar this month is the exclusive streaming premiere of “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version),” the ground-breaking and record-setting concert film tracking Swift’s Eras Tour. The new “(Taylor’s Version)” edit will feature the concert film in its entirety for the first time, plus the song “cardigan” and four additional acoustic songs.

Also premiering this month, “X-Men: The Animated Series” gets a long overdue revival with the new animated series “X-Men '97,” featuring the returns of original cast members Ray Chase, Alison Sealy-Smith, Cal Dodd, Lenore Zann, George Buza, and more. Plus, the British historical adventure “Renegade Nell” finally gets its series premiere at the end of the month.

Get ready for...

X-Men '97 serves as a continuation of the original animated series from the 1990s, though one character comes with a change for the new show.

In a new issue of Empire magazine showcasing X-Men '97, brief character profiles are given for several of the returning characters from X-Men: The Animated Series. With the shapeshifter Morph, it was revealed that X-Men '97 will feature a "lighter take on the character, who is nonbinary and has an interesting buddy relationship with Wolverine." Establishing Morph as nonbinary is a key change for the character, who had never been identified as nonbinary in the original show or any of the comic books. It's also teased that Morph's past with Mister Sinister will "come into play" in some way in X-Men '97.

Related X-Men '97 Showrunner Reveals How It Will Continue the Original Cartoon's Story Beau DeMayo discusses some of the visual decisions for...

Professor Charles Xavier died in the 1997 series finale of “X-Men: The Animated Series.” As Jean Grey observed at the time, “Fate lies in our hands now.”

As fate would have it, Disney+ has revived the iconic Saturday morning cartoon — and its classic animation style — as a new series for 2024. The 10-episode “X-Men ’97” premieres March 20 on the streamer, and on Thursday, February 15, Disney+ treated us to the trailer.

Other than the addition of some new voice actors, not much has changed since the mid-90s. (The original “X-Men” ran from 1992-1997; “X-Men ’97” picks up shortly after the O.G. finale’s events.) The gang still travels in style via the X-Jet, Aka The Blackbird. Cyclops (now voiced by Ray Chase; he was previously voiced by Norm Spencer) is the mutant-team’s leader, and Wolverine (still Cal Dodd) is still getting under his skin. The torch from Professor X...