X-Males ’97’s Jennifer Hale on Voicing Jean Gray, Madelyne Pryor

It’s protected to say that Marvel struck gold with X-Men ’97. Not solely did the Disney+ present go above and past the nostalgia and brand name recognition that got here with selecting up proper after its predecessor, nevertheless it additionally turned the streamer’s largest animated sequence thanks in important half to its vividly crisp animation and mature storytelling.

By far, one of the crucial noteworthy elements of X-Males ’97 is that it introduced over a bunch of the show’s original actors in addition to some well-known franchise-spanning actors, just like the incomparable Jennifer Hale as Jean Gray. In that spirit, we spoke with Hale to ask her what it was like getting into the sales space and lending her voice not solely to Jean Gray but in addition to her darkish clone, Madelyne Pryor, within the present’s adaptation of one of the best X-Men comic book runs.

“I’m so honored,” Hale informed io9. “I used to be gifted this chance to step into Catherine [Disher]’s authentic function, and fortunately, Catherine continues to be a part of our forged.”

For these unaware of Hale’s illustrious resume, X-Males ’97 isn’t the primary time she’s portrayed Jean Gray. Prior to now, she’s lent her voice to the staple X-Males member in video video games (Marvel Final Alliance 3: Darkish Order, Final Marvel vs Capcom 3), the 2011 X-Males Marvel anime, and the 2009 Wolverine and the X-Males cartoon. Nonetheless, Hale says reprising her function as Jean Gray from in X-Males ’97 was an superior expertise.

“I’ve been Jean Gray many instances on many various tasks and many various areas of the trade, and to have the ability to step into this function on this explicit undertaking, I really feel like I’ve gained the lottery,” Hale stated. “This workforce is unbelievable—they grew up watching the present. The administrators are simply great individuals and pleasure to work with. Oh my gosh, I liked it.”

As talked about earlier, Hale wasn’t simply voicing a younger and modern-day Gray; she additionally voiced her genetic clone, Madelyne Pryor. The character is just about similar to Gray from each an influence and visible standpoint in early episodes—till she transforms into the darkish and twisted Goblin Queen. Pryor’s transformation not solely spelled deeper confusion for hubby and child daddy Scott Summers, nevertheless it additionally meant Hale needed to discover a darker, extra sardonic tone to tell apart Pryor from Gray.

When requested how she found her voice for X-Males 97‘s resident dommy mommy, Hale credited her vocal discovery with the present’s sharp writing and its voice director, Meredith Lane.

“Voice administrators [are] like the key sauce. Meredith’s job is to listen to all of the totally different writers and artistic producers which are speaking to her in a single ear, and communicate to me, and make that each one come collectively,” Hale stated.

She continued: “As a result of Meredith is there, I get to throw down and go full-on laborious into Madelyne, or Goblin Queen, or Jean by no means worrying that I misplaced the appropriate tonal sounds [or] the right anchor level for this character’s explicit perspective as a result of I do know she’s bought my again. She’ll say, ‘Effectively, nope, that one went too Madelyne,’ or, ‘That one went too Jean.’ She’s there, and I’ve that backup, and I can learn due to her.”

Whereas Hale gained’t reveal what she thinks Jean and the gang shall be as much as within the upcoming second season of X-Males ’97, she left us with a tease that it—very similar to its Emmy-nominated predecessor—is “going to be one other nice season.”

X-Males ’97 season one is streaming now on Disney+.

Need extra io9 information? Take a look at when to anticipate the newest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on film and TV, and the whole lot you want to learn about the way forward for Doctor Who.