X-Men ’97 star reveals tragic inspiration behind Episode 5’s saddest scene

X-Men ’97’s Rogue voice actress, Lenore Zann, has shared the tragic inspiration behind her performance in Episode 5’s most heartbreaking scene.

(Spoilers follow for the fifth episode of X-Men ’97.)

The animated show’s ‘Remember It’ episode ended on a devastating note, spurred by the Mutant nation of Genosha coming under attack by a giant Sentinel.

Gambit sacrifices himself to destroy the hulking robot, a heroic act that sends his would-be lover, Rogue, into a heart-wrenching spiral. Her final words before the credits roll won’t soon be forgotten: “Sugah, I – I can’t feel you.” Said as she touched his skin bare-handed for the first time.

It’s a scene that has critics and fans convinced the X-Men revival will receive an Emmy nod. Shortly after the episode premiered, Rogue’s actress shared the personal tragedy that informed her performance.

In response to a viewer tweeting that they’ll never recover from X-Men ’97‘s Episode 5 ending, Lenore Zann reassured them that exploring where the grief comes from can help handle the pain.

Zann then disclosed that she speaks from experience, having lost her teenage niece not long before recording ‘Remember It.’

The actress wrote, “When my 17-year-old niece Maia died shortly before I recorded Ep 5 it was like a rusty faucet started gushing water I was afraid would never stop. It did. Hang on. The story continues.”

What the rest of the season may entail remains a mystery, though it’s worth noting that the surprises and heartbreak may be far from over. Speaking to one fan on social media, now-former showrunner Beau DeMayo teased, “This was our warm-up.”

New X-Men ’97 episodes premiere every Wednesday on Disney Plus.