The announcement of X-Men ’97 conjured up excitement and nostalgia for fans of the original 1990s animated series. That meant the original lineup from the 1990s Marvel run was coming back to the small screen, but there were a few questions looming over the Disney+ series. Would the original voice actors perform the same roles? Or would a new voice cast take on the beloved characters? Well, it's been confirmed that as an example of the former, the original Wolverine is back for the revival.
While production on the new animated series is underway, there hasn't been much news revealed other than the return of the original lineup and its 2023 release date. The latest news will send the X-Men: The Animated Series fanbase into overdrive, as original Wolverine actor Cal Dodd confirmed he will the fan-favorite once again. Dodd unveiled his official return as Wolverine in X-Men ’97 by posting a photo of himself in a vocal booth on Twitter.
Guess what I was doing in the studio today? SO great to be back!!! #Wolverine #DisneyPlus #xmen #XMen97 #xmentas pic.twitter.com/ssBPDRUy6oJanuary 6, 2022
That doesn’t mean viewers haven’t heard Cal Dodd’s gruff-voiced Wolverine since the original X-Men animated series concluded. Dodd continued to voice the beloved X-Men character in a series of Marvel video games from 1994 to 2000. So he managed to keep Logan’s spirit alive even after the series was ended.
Hopefully Cal Dodd’s post points toward the original voice cast stepping back into their characters from the original series. Actors Lenore Zann, George Buza, Alison Sealy-Smith, Chris Potter, Catherine Disher, Adrian Hough,and Christopher Britton will join Cal Dodd, though unfortunately, viewers will be in for a new Magneto, as X-Men: TAS actor David Hemblen passed away in 2020. Luckily, new actors such as Jennifer Hale, Anniwaa Buachie, and Ray Chase will join the veteran cast. It is unknown who will fill Hemlben’s booming voice and presence in the new series.
Of course, X-Men ’97 isn’t the only reboot to bring back its original voice cast. Last year, Batman: The Animated Series voice actors Kevin Conroy and John Glover (who voiced Batman and Riddler, respectively) announced they would be starring in a podcast follow-up to another 1990s classic, Batman: The Animated Series. There’s no word on who else will return for the audio sequel. Even the Rugrats reboot saw most of the original voice actors return for more baby and toddler hijinks.
As more 1990s animated classics get revived, it’s nice to see the original voice casts come back for another round. Hopefully this is just the beginning of more X-Men content coming to the MCU. Right now, it is unknown when exactly X-Men ’97 will premiere in 2023. As more information becomes available, come back to CinemaBlend for the latest developments.
