Influence of 90's cartoon on the first X-men film

[bat39]

Been rewatching a few episodes of the 90's X-men cartoon lately, in anticipation of X-men '97 (which I haven't had a chance to watch yet so...no spoilers on this thread please ). And I couldn't help but notice a lot of parallels between the show and the first live-action X-men movie. As in, beyond their merely sharing the same source material, I'm convinced that Bryan Singer actively rewatched the animated series while working on the script, and it informed a lot of his own approach to the universe.

The X-men featured in the film were all prominently featured on the show - Professor X, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Storm, and Rogue. The scene of Rogue kissing Cody and having her powers manifest was in a Season 1 episode of the show, and made it to an early scene in the film. The Scott-Jean-Logan love triangle got quiet a bit of focus on the show, and even more focus in the film.

We're introduced to the world of the X-men in the film from the perspective of Wolverine and Rogue in a very similar manner to how we're introduced to the world of the X-men on the show through Jubilee. In both cases, you have the audience surrogate character attacked by hostile forces (Sabertooth, or the Sentinels), and rescued by the intervention of the X-men. They then wake up in the Mansion's sickbay, wander around the corridors, and end up learning about the Xavier School and the X-men.

Then there's Senator Kelly and the Mutant Registration Act, a major focus of the first season of the show and of the film. Kelly is abducted by Magneto on both the show and the film, though in the latter Magneto succeeds in ultimately killing him (in a way).

A lot of the X-men films were based, to varying degrees, on specific comic story-arcs. X2 on God Loves, Man Kills. The Last Stand on The Cure and the Dark Phoenix Saga. First Class on the 60's X-men comics. Logan on Old Man Logan. And so on. But I think with the first X-men film, the biggest inspiration probably was Season 1 of the 90's X-men cartoon.

[Thirteen]

Jean Grey as played by Famke Janssen wore a ponytail hairstyle like the animated series...

[Grunty]

Weren't there reports that Singer and co. tried to get as far away from the cartoon (and a lot of the comics aswell) as possible, in order to have the movie be taken "serious" by an adult audience? Hence things like the yellow spandex line?

[ChildOfTheAtom]

i feel they just did the opposite of everything in the comics, games, cartoon

[MythicalChicken]

i feel they just did the opposite of everything in the comics, games, cartoon

Which was the right call to bring it firmly in line with the sci-fi audience without disrespecting the IP. It walked so all over superhero movies could run.

[bat39]

Weren't there reports that Singer and co. tried to get as far away from the cartoon (and a lot of the comics aswell) as possible, in order to have the movie be taken "serious" by an adult audience? Hence things like the yellow spandex line?

The uniforms, and the overall aesthetic, were definitely the one big change...and in turn went on to influence the comics as well.

That apart, the cartoon and the comics themselves were pretty 'serious' and 'adult' and didn't require too many fundamental changes. I mean, Magneto's Holocaust backstory wasn't invented by Bryan Singer and co. Conversely, Magneto's grand plan to turn world leaders into mutants isn't exactly the stuff of what we (perhaps somewhat snobbishly) came to consider as 'serious' superhero cinema.

[ChildOfTheAtom]

Which was the right call to bring it firmly in line with the sci-fi audience without disrespecting the IP. It walked so all over superhero movies could run.

ill agree to disagree because i actively hate that franchise and i guess if someone is a fan of other heroes that was good for them.but im a X-MEN fan so i don’t really care anything for the rest but its good a lot became successful franchises.

[Thirteen]

Which was the right call to bring it firmly in line with the sci-fi audience without disrespecting the IP. It walked so all over superhero movies could run.

Indeed. Had to start slow and ease into it to get where we are going now..

[Jackraow21]

Pretty amazing that that dude has been Wolverine since he was cast in the role in 1999 basically. Half the character’s entire existence of fifty years!

[Thirteen]

Pretty amazing that that dude has been Wolverine since he was cast in the role in 1999 basically. Half the character’s entire existence of fifty years!

Hard to imagine what the role would have been like had the original acto Dougray Scott not had to bow out and Russel Crowe hadn't balked and recommended his buddy musical guy Jackman.
The casting that almost wasn't. Be a kick if they had Scott and Crowe cameo as Wolverine Variants in DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE...

[bat39]

Pretty amazing that that dude has been Wolverine since he was cast in the role in 1999 basically. Half the character’s entire existence of fifty years!

Damn!

Never thought of it that way but...wow!

25 years...10 movies (including cameos). Averages out to one movie every 2.5 years.

Don't think there's a single other actor in a superhero franchise (or indeed any major film franchise) that matches not only that tenure, but also that frequency.

He's also played virtually every version and every major 'take' on the character - member of the X-men, WW2 soldier, Old Man Logan, Weapon X, adventurer in Japan...Deadpool's frenemy. Wouldn't be surprised if he shows up on the Avengers too at some point!