AcclaimedX-MenwriterChris Claremonthas added his take on the ongoing ‘woke’ debate surrounding Marvel’s band of mutants, with the comic book writer and novelist suggesting that it’s time to change their name. Famous for his16-year run onThe X-Men, as well as creating several characters, including Rogue, Psylocke, Kitty Pryde, aka Shadowcat, Phoenix, Sabretooth, Emma Frost, Gamit, and many more, Claremont believes that “Calling them X-Men is so 1960s,” and refers to them now as The X-Group.
Speaking withPopverse, Claremont was asked about the possible name change, with the writer saying he has been trying to make it permanent for years.
“I tried that. I spent about 10 years referring to them as the X. The X being the unknown. It was pointed out to me that X-Men is trademarked, which apparently is a whole different kettle of fish. You can’t argue with legal people. When I came to work for Marvel, it was one or two guys, Apparently the Mouse House has much more than that. There are some fights you can’t win.”
If You’re Mad That X-Men ‘97 Has Gone “Woke”, You’re Missing the Point
After X-Men ‘97 details and the trailer dropped, some viewers described the new animated show as “woke”. Clearly, they’ve never read an X-Men comic.
Debates about the X-Men have been raging again recently, as Marvel and Disney have seemingly made a few changes to the upcoming animated revival,X-Men ‘97. Changes that have been branded ‘woke’ but a certain section of the fanbase. Conversations surrounding a name change for the superhero team have also been rife, with Marvel Studios producer Victoria Alonso having stated back in 2019 that it is now time to adjust the title.
“It’s funny that people call it the X-Men. There’s a lot of female superheroes in that X-Men group, so I think it’s outdated.”
The X-Men are also expected to join the MCU sooner rather than later following the acquisition of 20th Century Fox by Disney, with rumors claiming that thereboot will be titledThe Mutants, or something similar. Though, at present, this remains mere speculation.
X-Men ‘97 Creator Beau Demayo Suddenly Fired Weeks Before Premiere
Before the likes of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe on the big screen, The X-Men will first land on the small screen in this month’s animated sequel series,X-Men ‘97. Marvel Animation’sX-Men ’97revisits the iconic era of the 1990s as The X-Men, a band of mutants who use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them, are challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.
The cast ofX-Men ‘97includes Ray Chase as Scott Summers / Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Lenore Zann as Anna-Marie Raven / Rogue, George Buza as Henry McCoy / Beast, Holly Chou as Jubilation Lee / Jubilee, Alison Sealy-Smith as Ororo Munroe / Storm, Cal Dodd as James “Logan” Howlett / Wolverine, A. J. LoCascio as Remy LeBeau / Gambit, and Matthew Waterson as Magneto.
The series was recently at the center of some shocking news, as writer and producerBeau DeMayo was suddenly firedfrom the project just weeks before the premiere on Disney+. At present, no official reason has been given.
X-Men ‘97is now scheduled to premiere on July 17, 2025, with a second season already in development.
