X-Men '97 Star Claps Back At Fan Backlash Over Nonbinary Character
Certain viewers of the hit new throwback series X-Men '97 have really gotten something stuck in their craw over the existence of a nonbinary character. But the actor behind the character in question is having none of it.
X-Men '97 immediately became the talk of the nerdy town when it premiered on Disney+ to near universal acclaim. The animated series serves as a revival and continuation of the beloved X-Men: The Animated Series which originally ran from 1992-1997. Despite the showrunner for X-Men '97 being fired by Disney for what many speculate to be dubious reasons, it hasn't tempered the show's momentum, and it's already got 2 more seasons planned even before the first one is finished airing. However, it seems some viewers are having a tough time reconciling with one aspect in particular.
That's where actor J.P. Karliak comes in. In an interview with CBR, Karliak finally spoke out about his feelings on fan anger over his character, Morph, being confirmed as nonbinary. Not only does he see it as perfectly in line with Morph's character to identify as nonbinary, but it actually lines up particularly well with his own real life activism. So if there's anyone involved with the show who would understand Morph's situation, it's Karliak, who unfortunately wasn't shocked even remotely at the backlash.
«I'm a queer activist. I run a nonprofit that advocates for queer representation. I also co-founded a voter registration organization. I know what's going on in the world, especially politically, so no, it didn't surprise me at all.»
It's an unfortunate reality in this modern world that anything that makes the tiniest attempt to be more inclusive to its audience immediately draws hate from certain people for no discernible practical reason. But there are also plenty of fans who understand the importance of diversity and representation, particularly in a franchise that has always been about fighting the very injustices the first group wishes to continue perpetuating. Karliak
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