Last month, X-Men '97 showrunner Beau DeMayo confirmed what we'd long suspected: Morph does indeed have romantic feelings for Wolverine. That was hinted at in a shower scene earlier in the season, though he's since explained that the non-binary mutant's feelings are one-sided.
This added new context to the scene in the finale when Morph transforms into Jean Grey and, in that form, tells Logan they love him. Now, we know that what initially seemed like the mutant's way of comforting his dying friend was, in fact, a previously secret declaration of love.
DeMayo won't return for X-Men '97's upcoming second and third seasons after parting ways with Marvel Studios for reasons which still haven't been revealed.
He's shared plenty of insights about the show with fans, though, and recently decided to set the record straight on Morph's feelings for Wolverine.
"From story bible to the script, Morph’s confession to Logan was always romantic," DeMayo confirmed on X (via Toonado.com). "I discussed this openly and often during production. Suggesting otherwise, never mind contradicting the intention of a queer writer-showrunner, is both offensive and straight-washing."
"To talk about representation and it mattering, and then contradict a gay black creator once they are able to become one of the few showrunners who are gay and black, is just disingenuous," he concluded.
We've done some digging and, aside from the usual vitriol you see on X, we're not sure what exactly DeMayo might be referring to. We haven't seen any interviews with other X-Men '97 creatives disputing his take on Morph and Wolverine's dynamic, anyway, but at least he's cleared things up.
Whether the series will continue exploring that without him when it returns for season 2 isn't clear.
You can read DeMayo's comments in full below.
X-Men '97 revisits the iconic era of the 1990s as The X-Men, a band of mutants who use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them, are challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.
All episodes of X-Men '97 are now streaming on Disney+.