Neve Campbell To Voice Polaris In 'X-Men ‘97'

What’s your favorite comic book-based animated series, Neve?

Guess who opened his mouth again! And right on time really. Disgraced X-Men ‘97 creator Beau DeMayo has quashed a rumor brewed by a fake Marvel news account based on a report by scooper MyTimeToShineHello that Neve Campbell, star of the Scream franchise and the The Lincoln Lawyer Netflix series, would be playing X-Men character Lorna Dane aka Polaris in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He quashed it by in fact clarifying that he had cast her for X-Men ‘97.

Now, DeMayo, who was fired two weeks before X-Men ‘97 premiered but after he already submitted his work for season 2, isn’t supposed to be talking about the show, as part of the terms of his firing. He was even excluded from the Assembled episode. He’s even seen credits stripped away because of these violations. Still, he’s done so on multiple occasions and on this one could’ve just left it at that. But it seems as long as he opened his mouth, he kept talking. He stepped in to quell the chaos and confirm that Campbell’s work as Polaris was actually for X-Men ‘97, specifically saying “Incorrect. I cast her as Polaris in Season 2 of #xmen97. She does amazing work bringing something new, and felt right to have a 90s icon pick up where Lorna’s story was left in “Cold Comfort”. She’s got some thoughts on Genosha.”

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For context, Lorna/Polaris in the original series was voiced by Mary Long. She was an early member of the X-Men with her boyfriend Bobby Drake, best known as Iceman. They left to attempt a normal life. However, she would decide to join X-Factor, a government-organized mutant team, believing they could better fight for mutantkind. Knowing Bobby would never accept her decision she faked her disappearance, creating conflict between the two teams when Bobby thinks she’s been kidnapped. She eventually reveals the truth, and that she had fallen in love with teammate Havok. Bobby’s heartbroken but the two teams do make peace, and Polaris is determined for her own life path.

DeMayo revealed he cast and recorded her over late 2023 and early 2024, which seemingly puts the timeline as being right up until his firing. So much that even this casting was contentious, alleging “there was the one day-today-day Marvel exec — the same who gave me grief about being too much of a comic book nerd — who fought me ever step of the way and tried to have me fire her.” He fought it and refused. As for Campbell, her voice acting resume is actually pretty thin, as adult Kiara in The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride and Cassandra, one of the three teen Wiccans from The Simpsons “Rednecks and Broomsticks” in season 21. Season two of X-Men ‘97 is set to premiere on Disney+ in 2026.

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Source: Beau DeMayo (1, 2)