X-Men ’97 Season 2 dropped today on Disney+, picking up right where the mutant team left off – scattered across time, with Morph and Wolverine once again front and center. It’s the first new footage since JP Karliak, who voices Morph, made his feelings about their relationship clear. His comments are worth revisiting now that Season 2 is actually here.
X-Men ‘97 has been full of surprises. The biggest is probably the relationship between Logan and Kevin. But while some fans are reading between the claws and seeing romance between Morph and Wolverine, JP Karliak (the voice of Morph) isn’t so sure about their future.
“The thing that I’ve always joked about is that I want better for Morph. [Laughs]. Wolverine is a great character, but he is a big old pile of damage, and I think Morph needs to have less of that in his life,” Karliak told Fortress of Solitude.
Across the first three episodes of the animated X-Men ‘97 revival, Morph’s redesign (a nod to the comic version of Changeling) and non-binary identity (though still referred to with he/him pronouns) have made him one of the show’s most nuanced characters. The dynamic with Logan is complex, but Karliak’s not interested in turning it romantic.
“To me, the real value that comes out of that relationship is the friendship between a queer and cishet character… not a love story,” he explained. “We need to see more of that.”
Fans seem to agree. Reddit users said, “They can be best friends and have platonic love for each other.” Others echoed the sentiment, calling their bond a “bro relationship” and “beautiful to see.”
“I’d like to see Morph get with one of the other canon queer characters in the Marvel Universe, like Northstar, Iceman, Wiccan, or Hulkling,” Karliak suggested, although he does believe that Wolverine will always be important to Morph.
Looking ahead, we’ll get more of Morph (who happened to be Michael Jackson’s favorite superhero) and Wolverine’s story in Season 2 of X-Men ‘97. Executive producer Brad Winderbaum teased that two other “X” teams will show up. Could that mean X-Force? Excalibur? Maybe Morph finally finding his Marvel soulmate?
RELATED: Is The X-Men’s Wolverine Christian?
