INTERVIEW: X-Men '97 Actor J.P. Karliak Puts a New Twist on Morph
- ️@samstoneshow
- ️Thu Mar 21 2024
Among the ensemble of the Disney+ series X-Men '97 is Morph, the shape-shifting hero who endured death and resurrection before embarking on a journey of self-discovery and eventually rejoining his friends. Now voiced by J.P. Karliak, Morph comes back with a fresher perspective on who he is, while still trying to find his way amidst the X-Men.
In an interview with CBR, Karliak shares his own history with the X-Men and personal appreciation for Morph. The veteran voice actor reflects on how the 1990-set show and the character of Morph both speak to modern issues. Karliak also teases his very different role as the Joker in DC's video game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
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CBR: What was your gateway into the world of X-Men? Did you watch the original animated series growing up or was it something else?
J.P. Karliak: I was in high school when [X-Men: The Animated Series] was out, and I would get home just as the end credits were rolling because I would turn on the TV to watch the Power Rangers – that was my thing. I actually came to the X-Men later. When the [X-Men] movies came out [was] when I really got into who they were.
With the advent of YouTube and Wikipedia, I would start doing deep dives. I would notice Easter eggs and go "Wait, who's that character?" I wanted to know more! I really backended the X-Men experience, and now I'm a big fan. There are a lot of the plots that I'm very off-book on because of the movies and doing the research. Now I've watched the series and I love it.
It must've been huge to come from the movies to the comics and see the differences between them.
I will say I was a big arcade guy as a kid. I was very familiar with Marvel vs. Capcom and the [other] games. I remember "Berserker Barrage!" and what Wolverine sounded like back then. [laughs] It wasn't that big of a shock, but it was definitely a shift!
How would you describe Morph's place in X-Men '97 and on the X-Men team?
I think he's figuring it out a little bit, because this takes place, more or less, right after the last episode [of X-Men: The Animated Series] ended. In that last episode, "Graduation Day," he just came back after going on a "I need to figure out who I am in the light of all this trauma" situation. He's figuring out what’s his relationship to all these people? He definitely has a strong friendship with Wolverine.
I think all he knows now is "I'm here to lighten the mood now and then, and we'll figure out the rest as we go." I don't think he's got a clear place yet. That Mister Sinister trauma is real deep. Another thing I love about him is that he's a character that's experienced severe psychological trauma – not to mention, [Morph] was murdered and brought back to life – and physical trauma, as well, but he covers up and masks so much of it with humor. As a queer person, that's a lot of our stories, so I really identify with that.
Wolverine shouting "This one's for you, Morph!" is one of the iconic lines from the original series.
The first thing I did, when I met Cal Dodd, I was like "Say it!" [laughs]
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What notes did you take from Ron Rubin's performance as Morph in X-Men: The Animated Series, and what did you want to make your own?
The vast majority of my career has been playing legacy characters, so there's always a degree of going back to the original and thinking about what do I keep, what do I lose, what can I make my own – also in accordance with what the producers are looking for. Sometimes they want a dead-on sound-alike, and sometimes they're more loose in what their expectations are. In this case, the laugh is key, but at the same time, we don't use it nearly as much.
I really didn't try to do a sound-alike as much as I used my own voice, because I knew from the casting process that Morph would be non-binary. It was really important for me to ground him in some sense of reality -- not try to do a character voice so much as just be me. Knowing that he's going to change into all these different people and his voice is going to change, it was nice to just have a grounding point.
Also, his sense of humor in this latest iteration is a little dryer; he's snarky with his wit. I didn't want to overplay it. Sometimes it's just nice to let the jokes sail. We did make sure that the laugh was there, with certain little things. It doesn't sound wildly different from Ron, but it also sounds a little more grounded, like a lot of adult animation does right now. It's a touch more based in reality.
Though Morph is non-binary in X-Men '97, he still uses he/him pronouns?
Two things about that – one, as far as I know, we're never going to say the word "non-binary" because nobody said the word "non-binary" in the '90s. It's not that it didn't exist; it was just in no way a mainstream term at the time. Morph's understanding of who he is could equate to what a modern person would say is non-binary, but he just doesn’t have the terminology for it. At the same time, they/them wasn't a concept in terms of using it as a pronoun.
There are so many ways I identify with Morph, but one of them is that I personally identify as gender-queer, which some might say is an offshoot of non-binary, but I use he/him pronouns. A lot of that has to do with the fact that I'm in my 40s and I came into my full understanding of my gender in my late 30s. I've always used he/him pronouns, and they feel like an old college sweatshirt, where maybe they don't fit all that well, but they're still really comfy and, until I find something better, I'll just keep using that.
Did it surprise you, seeing the online backlash toward Morph in X-Men '97, after he was described as non-binary?
No. [laughs] I'm a queer activist. I run a nonprofit that advocates for queer representation. I also co-founded a voter registration organization. I know what's going on in the world, especially politically, so no, it didn't surprise me at all. [laughs] I think what I appreciated was how much counter-backlash there was, with people like "Have you watched the X-Men? Are you familiar with why they were created and what they're about? Did you forget that?" That was reassuring.
I haven't really taken offense with anything anybody's published, as much as they've tried. [laughs] There was one article that called me a radical queer activist and listed the insidious mission statement of my organization -- verbatim of what was on the website. I was like "Facts. No lies here, thanks for the promotion!" [laughs]
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You also got to voice the Joker in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and that's such a huge, iconic role. How did you put your own spin on that role?
You're walking into a field full of land mines of legendary performances. It's scary that I'm going to tread upon people's memories of Heath Ledger, Mark Hamill, Jack Nicholson, Jared Leto or Cesar Romero. I think the one blessing that I have is that this is an Elseworlds Joker, so I really got to make him my own, totally separate version, but I was cherry-picking things from each one.
This is a younger Joker; he's new to the game and hasn't been Jokering for that long. A little bit like Morph -- he's figuring out who he is, what his place is and what he wants his Joker to be, especially coming into this world that had a legendary Joker who had been around for decades. He's coming in taking notes; there's a bit of that.
As far as the laugh goes, I was pulling from everywhere. I think Hamill's [Joker] laugh is legendary in the sense that he does incorporate about 30 other laughs in it. There is also the often sinister Heath Ledger laugh that you want to use at the right moments. I had a blast doing him. I'm not expecting my Joker to please everybody, but I hope he is a few people's very favorite Joker. [laughs]
Is there anything else you want to mention about X-Men '97?
The theme song is banging! [laughs] We had the premiere, and I was not ready. I was not prepared, and I don't think anybody in the room was prepared, except maybe the people who saw the cut before it was on-screen. It is shockingly reverential to the original [X-Men series], while adding a level of modern depth and storytelling that you've come to expect from prestige adult animation these days.
It is absolutely phenomenal. We were laughing and weeping, and not just weeping because we were in this, but because the drama on-screen was absolutely beautiful. I can't spill any tea, but I'll tell you that you ain't ready!
X-Men '97 is now streaming on Disney+.
X-Men '97 picks up after the events of X-Men: The Animated Series, with the titular heroes mourning the death of their leader and being reunited with their arch-nemesis Magneto.
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