"The name's Gambit, mon ami... Remember It."
We are now at the halfway point of Marvel Studios' X-Men '97, and the most recent instalment has been hailed as one of the most shocking, devastating episodes of comic book-based television - animated or otherwise - ever.
"Remember It" saw the mutant nation of Genosha under assault from a gigantic "Wild" Sentinel, who ended up killing several main characters, including Magneto, Gambit, and Madelyne Pryor.
After the team's former nemesis turned leader met his end while doing his best to protect Leech and the other Morlocks, Gambit sacrificed himself to take down the Sentinel by using his abilities to charge-up its metal frame and cause an explosion.
The episode ended with a tearful Rogue cradling Gambit's lifeless body.
Now, voice actors A.J. LoCascio (Gambit) and Lenore Zann (Rogue) have shared their reactions to these tragic events while speaking to CinemaBlend.
"I was sad, I was pretty devastated, especially since this is a character I’ve loved for so, so long, and then to get to play the character and then to find out they’re dying halfway through the season," said LoCascio. "I was devastated. Yeah, I had to go through my own mourning process in the same way you would with a friend or a loved one in a weird way. I mean, obviously not to the same degree, but there was this feeling of, ‘Welcome to the world of X-Men!’ And then it’s like, ‘And then you die!’ And I as like, ‘You couldn’t even wait a couple more episodes!’ It’s very strange and bittersweet. I’m thrilled to voice Gambit in any capacity, so to do it in these pivotal moments was an honor. But yeah, I definitely felt heartsick and sad. Jake [Castorena] and Beau [DeMayo] had to call me and placate me and tell me, ‘It’s ok, this is a good story.’ I was like, ‘Ok…’ So I felt very sad."
Though Rogue survived, witnessing two people she cared so deeply about die in quick succession is bound to take its toll.
"Well I was devastated too," adds Zann. "I really feel that Rogue loves Remy deeply, and in this episode, we also find out how deeply… The fact that she says to Magneto, ‘Some things are deeper than skin.’ That’s so important because this is what Gambit said, and she repeats that. Anybody who knows Rogue knows that not being able to touch anyone skin to skin has been part of her trauma her whole life. She wants to touch people skin to skin, but she realizes, ‘No, some things are deeper than skin,’ that, for me, just speaks galaxies and universe of deep, deep love."
Though there is a good chance at least some of these heroes will return (via time-travel or some other means) eventually, it would be a mistake for Marvel to rush into any kind of retcon, which would lessen the emotional impact of these deaths.
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