X-Men Name Change Debate: Chris Claremont and Victoria Alonso Weigh In

Renowned X-Men writer Chris Claremont has shared his perspective on the current discussion surrounding the potential renaming of Marvel’s mutant heroes, the X-Men. Claremont, celebrated for his extensive and influential 16-year tenure on The X-Men comic book series, has been a pivotal figure in the development of the franchise, introducing beloved characters such as Rogue, Psylocke, Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat), Phoenix, Sabretooth, Emma Frost, and Gambit.

In an interview with Popverse, Claremont remarked on the group’s traditional moniker, stating:

“Calling them X-Men is so 1960s.”

He now refers to them as “The X-Group” and revealed his past attempts to shift the name towards a more inclusive direction:

“I tried that. I spent about 10 years referring to them as the X. The X being the unknown.”

Claremont revealed that he has been trying to make the name change permanent for years:

“I tried that. I spent about 10 years referring to them as the X. The X being the unknown. It was pointed out to me that X-Men is trademarked, which apparently is a whole different kettle of fish. You can’t argue with legal people. When I came to work for Marvel, it was one or two guys, Apparently the Mouse House has much more than that. There are some fights you can’t win.”

However, Claremont encountered legal roadblocks, as “X-Men” is a trademarked term, and changing it proved to be a difficult challenge within the corporate structure of Marvel, especially after the company’s acquisition by Disney, referred to by Claremont as the “Mouse House.”

The name change debate gained further prominence when Marvel Studios producer Victoria Alonso described the “X-Men” title as outdated during a discussion in 2019. Alonso highlighted the diversity of the team and suggested that the name should reflect the presence of many female superheroes within the X-Men group. Her thoughts resonate with those who feel the name no longer accurately represents the ensemble:

“It’s funny that people call it the X-Men. There’s a lot of female superheroes in that X-Men group, so I think it’s outdated.”

Speculation has been rampant that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) might introduce the team with a new title, possibly “The Mutants,” but this remains unconfirmed.

As the X-Men are poised to make their arrival in the MCU and re-emerge in the animated sequel series X-Men ‘97 on Disney+, the conversation about their name continues. Whether Disney and Marvel will consider a rebranding is uncertain.

The discussion has even made its way into the comics, with characters like Firestar and Iceman debating the topic in X-Men #19 (2023). However, it remains to be seen if Disney and Marvel will ultimately decide to change the iconic name.

As the pop culture landscape continues to evolve, fans eagerly await news on the future of the X-Men and their potential rebranding.