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The composers of X-Men ‘97 had to evolve the show’s sound to honor its roots

The Verge chats with X-Men ‘97 composers Andy Grush and Taylor Stewart.

As fans of the original cartoon, X-Men ‘97 composers Andy Grush and Taylor Stewart knew that updating the theme was going to be a tricky exercise in balancing nostalgia with a sonic freshness reflective of the new series’ modernity. But when I recently spoke with Grush and Stewart — known together as the Newton Brothers — the duo explained that it took them some time to realize that letting go of the past would ultimately be the key to making X-Men ‘97 sound like an evolutionary next step for Marvel’s animated mutants. On the page, Wolverine always had his “snikts” and Nightcrawler, his “bamfs.” But each episode of The Animated Series featured a rich tapestry of sounds led by an exhilarating, guitar riff-driven theme song that made you want to charge into battle just like the heroes and villains on-screen.

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