X-Men ’97 Voice Cast On How The Show’s Righteous Anger Provides A Voice For The Voiceless [Exclusive Interview]

This next question is for both of you. Something that I’ve always appreciated about X-Men is that the mutants have always existed as an echo for anyone in real life who is marginalized by the status quo. But “X-Men ’97” really gives these characters the space to show righteous anger toward a society that treats them not just unfairly, but with bigoted violence, which is something that, unfortunately, a lot of people, myself included, do relate to. So I’m curious if you both could speak on what it’s like to give a voice to characters who are a part of this team, who are often saying the things that so many of us wish we could say, but sometimes feel like we might not be able to, for whatever reason.

Agustini: First of all, it’s just such a great honor to just be part of this in general, but in that specific point, it’s just really wonderful because I think it is an opportunity that we’re all having to see yourselves reflected in that way and those things that we maybe can’t say or can’t express or actually don’t feel like we can, because I think we all should have that safe space to go through our feelings. So that’s the beauty of art, and in this case, television, that you can see yourself reflected in a way and expressed, and then you can go through the emotions together with these characters. So, to me, it’s just such a great honor. And I think the creators are doing it beautifully, and it’s being so well-portrayed and thankfully very well-received by our viewers.

Chou: Absolutely 100%. I want to echo what you said about that being the whole point of art, right? Art is what expresses […] There’s a play called “The History Boys,” and there’s this history teacher — he’s not just history, he’s teaching sort of like everything — but he says there’s something about coming across something in writing — and I’m just going to extend that to art or, you know, entertainment or something like that — that you thought was just for you, like that you were the only person who ever experienced this. And when you read it or see it, you realize that somebody else has been through that, too.

And a lot of the fans, a lot of the people who are coming up to us at, wherever, conventions or something like that or just messaging, [they’re saying] it’s not just whoever created or wrote that thing that has been through the same thing. It’s so many people. It’s so many more people than you would ever have expected that this is for, as it turns out. I don’t want to speak for the writers, obviously, Beau DeMayo, the prevailing voice through all of this whole show, it’s his vision, it’s his voice. But also the team of other writers. This episode was by J.B. Ballard and Charlie Feldman. And you can tell that they have poured their experiences and their heart and soul into this. Oh my God, so many conversations in this episode alone. The conversations between Roberto and Jubilee and his mother, and then Beast and Trish Tilby. What an important conversation there. And so gratifying. I mean, you asked what it was like for us to be able to be part of this expression of this conversation. And it’s so gratifying to get to help to share this message.