“I’m at a loss for words”: It’s one of the defining cartoon theme tunes of the ’90s – now Nili Brosh has reimagined the classic X-Men lick fest for X-Men ’97

If you’ve already watched the first few episodes of Disney’s recently revived X-Men ‘97 series, you probably caught the electric guitar-heavy theme song – which, it turns out, was recorded with the help of virtuoso Nili Brosh.

As far as franchise themes go, the X-Men opener – originally written for the X-Men: Animated Series by Power Rangers composer Ron Wasserman – is certainly up there, a cult classic tune for comic book, movie and TV show fans alike.

The 2024 reboot of the show offers a new version of the theme, which revives (and revamps) the iconic animated series from the ‘90s – complete with contributions from Brosh, who revealed via her Instagram channel that she had recorded guitars for the earworm of a theme song.

“I’ve been waiting a long time for today…when I finally get to share with you that I played the classic X-Men theme for @xmen97marvel, now streaming on @disneyplus!” she wrote. “I can’t thank @thenewtonbroth3rs enough, for such an unbelievably gorgeous score and for having me! 

“The idea that I am now somehow part of the legacy of the Saturday Morning Cartoons is beyond me…and even crazier to me to now have credits with Haim Saban and Shuki Levy. I mean what??? I’m at a loss for words today. So so grateful!”

As noted by some commentators, the new version is a slightly tweaked take on the original song, with more emphasis on the reverb-soaked percussion. Brosh’s lead line is also amped up for the occasion, introducing some additional embellishing bends that bridge between the two sections.

Brosh’s contribution to the show has been celebrated by her peers, with fingerstyle virtuoso Mike Dawes writing, “What?! I was wondering who they’d get for this. Amazing.” Mark Lettieri, meanwhile, commented: “Badass!”

Brosh is no stranger to shredding classic TV themes. In April 2022, she ripped through The Simpsons theme on stage at Coachella with Danny Elfman and Wes Borland.

X-Men '97 is streaming now on Disney +.