“That was the biggest storyline they needed to explore”: Larry Houston Regrets a Missed Opportunity With Cyclops and Fans Agree With Him
There’s no doubt about the burgeoning popularity of X-Men ‘97 with its nostalgic characters in new-age animation. The show creators have done a splendid job of reviving the characters that made many childhoods special back in the 1990s. Bringing them back from the dead has been one of the best decisions made by Marvel in the near future.
As the story picks up from where it left off, fans get to dive into the world of mutants where they are equally needed and hated. The team of mutant superheroes gears up to save a planet that works hard to sideline them or eliminate their kind altogether.
Larry Houston Talks About a Missed Opportunity in X-Men: The Animated Series
Emmy-winning director Larry Houston was present at the Calgary Expo and had an opportunity to talk about a subplot that he would have liked to explore when he was making X-Men: The Animated Series back in the 1990s. The show went on to be an instant hit and is now a classic must-watch for all X-Men fans. He claimed,
“The only subplot I regret not doing so far is not having Scott realize that he has a little brother, Alex.”
Cyclops, being the main character on the show, has various subplots to discover on his own. Along with the pathbreaking journey he undertakes with his X-Men team, he has his own demons to deal with, including his troubled past and shaky memories. So, when Houston claimed that he would like to discover Alex and Scott’s relationship as brothers, fans are sure that would have added another complex layer to the character.
Moreover, Scott’s equation with his other brother Gabriel Summers is also not explored. Although, we might see him make an appearance in the rebooted X-Men ‘97 as Vulcan was seen in one of the past episodes. Maybe the makers of X-Men ‘97 listen to the OG showrunner’s wish and include this storyline in the upcoming episodes of the show.
Fans Agree With Larry Houston
The tiny cameo by Vulcan aka Gabriel Summers instantly stood out to fans as they began to analyze the ramifications of his appearance. Now, with Houston’s regret, fans agree that the makers of X-Men ‘97 should explore Scott Summers more than focusing on Cyclops as a superhero. The human side of the character is better understood when we see them interact with their family.
I thought that was the biggest storyline they needed to explore.
Is this from an interview with Larry Houston?— #JusticeForPengShuai Acknowledge her, please. (@FR33PengShuai) April 26, 2024
Maybe we get the payoff this go-round?
— Cat Daddy (@PotvinStinks94) April 26, 2024
To this day, that still annoys me that he doesn't know, now we gotta add Gabriel into mix since his recent introduction too.
— Generation-West (@GenerationWest0) April 26, 2024
Hopefully X-Men 97 finally deals with this. Alex in the cartoon universe does seem kinda of different than his comics counterpart. Given Vulcan's cameo in episode 6, I also hope the entire Summers family plays a role.
— Final Destination Stan (@ArchdukeHorror) April 27, 2024
While fans agree that the show is about X-Men as a whole and not just Cyclops, it is important to explore his arc since he is the leader of the troop and helps get the X-Men out of a jam. His character is central to the entire team’s development and growth. Moreover, his equation with each of the mutants on the team is also seen.
