One X-Men Actor Sets A New Record Of Voicing The Most MCU Characters

X-Men ‘97, the much-anticipated sequel series to X-Men: The Animated Series, is setting a new Marvel record with the inclusion of one versatile voice actor. The Disney+ series arrives more than two decades after the Fox Kids TV series concluded its five-season run. Building upon the tragic ending of the original X-Men TV show, X-Men ‘97 finds the mutant superteam navigating new challenges in the aftermath of Charles Xavier’s apparent death. However, despite the X-Men also set to join the MCU, X-Men ’97 does not take place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The cast of X-Men ‘97 includes returning and new actors. Iconic performers like Cal Dodd (Wolverine) and Lenore Zann (Rogue) reprise their roles from the original cartoon, but a few characters will be voiced by more contemporary performers. For instance, Matthew Waterson becomes the latest actor to voice Magneto after his predecessor, David Hemblen’s passing. The X-Men ‘97 trailer had many exciting reveals to offer, but it’s the cast details that point to an MCU veteran achieving a distinct career highlight. An alumnus of The Walking Dead, he now holds the record for playing the most number of MCU characters.

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Ross Marquand’s X-Men ’97 Marks His Fifth MCU Role

The Actor Voices Charles Xavier In The X-Men Reboot

Even though Charles Xavier is presumed to be dead in the X-Men ‘97 trailer, Ross Marquand is still credited to be the voice of the telepathic school headmaster. Succeeding the original show’s Cedric Smith, Marquand might voice Professor X in a flashback, or his character might get resurrected somehow. X-Men ‘97 isn’t Marquand’s first rodeo in the MCU as he played multiple characters in previous MCU movies and shows. The Invincible actor’s Marvel journey began when he portrayed Red Skull as a Stonekeeper in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame (replacing Hugo Weaving).

Marquand also voiced an alternate universe version of Red Skull in the animated anthology series Marvel’s What If…?. The show’s many parallel realities also allowed him to take on Infinity Ultron, the all-powerful, Infinity Stone-wielding version of Ultron. Along with What If’s Red Skull and Infinity Ultron, Marquand was also the voice behind Sub-Ultron Sentries and Tony Stark’s German-accented user interface W. E. R. N. E. R. He similarly voiced Ultron Sentries in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. X-Men’97 adds to Marquand’s five MCU productions even though he has never directly shown his face in any of them.

Playing Multiple Characters Is A Long-Standing MCU Tradition

Joe Russo Ranks Second With Three Roles Each

Ross Marquand is one of the many actors with multiple roles in the MCU. An early case in point was Paul Bettany voicing J. A. R. V. I. S and later playing Vision. Even major live-action performances have featured the same actor, much like how Michelle Yeoh played the Ravager Aleta Ogord in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Ta Lo guardian Ying Nan in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. With most of these actors limiting their multiple appearances to two, Marquand still holds the record of most MCU roles, playing six characters in five titles.

Interestingly, director Joe Russo comes second with three appearances. Unlike Stan Lee’s Marvel cameos, Russo played minor but integral characters like Captain America: The Winter Soldier‘s Dr. Fine, the doctor who tends to Nick Fury, and Captain America: Civil War‘s Theo Broussard, a psychiatrist killed and impersonated by Baron Zemo. He had an emotional turn as a support group member affected by the Blip in Avengers: Endgame. As the new voice of Charles Xavier in X-Men ‘97, Marquand continues his MCU voice-acting streak, but it wouldn’t be surprising to find him take on a full-fledged live-action role in the future.