The theme music of X-Men: The Animated Series remains synonymous with the show’s legacy but the guitar riff-driven composition has been controversial.

As X-Men: The Animated Series returns in 2024 with the Marvel Cinematic Universe revival X-Men ’97, it’s impossible not to reminisce on its iconic theme song. Driven by dramatic synths and a sharp guitar riff for the ages, the theme song introduced the show’s mutant superheroes and villains in what is now one of the best superhero show opening themes. The sequel series follows the events after Charles Xavier’s death, promising fan service for the audiences that grew up with the 90s original while also reshaping certain characters for modern viewers. More importantly, Ron Wasserman’s iconic electronic theme music returns.

The voice cast of X-Men ’97 is stacked with returning and new actors with the Disney+ original promising to double as a nostalgic joyride and a look into the future of the X-Men. The fact that the distinctly recognizable theme music was also sprinkled throughout the MCU timeline (Ms. Marvel and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) proves how synonymous the mutant team has become with it. Ron Wasserman, whose other notable work includes the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers theme, has also established his artistic legacy with the opening music even as doubts about its originality continue to persist.

Was The X-Men Theme Music Plagiarized?

An ’80s Hungarian Crime Drama Was At The Center Of This Controversy

Ron Wasserman’s synth-driven theme music for X-Men: The Animated Series contributed a lot to the show’s relevance in pop culture. Given its influence, it was not surprising for the theme to resurface in a few MCU movies and join the biggest reveals from the X-Men ’97 trailer, but the theme has a hidden past rarely spoken about. In 2019, Wasserman was among several parties sued by the estate of Hungarian composer György Vukán for allegedly plagiarizing Vukán’s theme music for the 80s-era cop drama called Linda the Policewoman. The 2019 lawsuit suggested that the animated show’s crew was in contact with Hungarian animators who might have introduced them to the Linda the Policewoman instrumental theme.

When the lawsuit story was first broken by TMZ and Gizmodo, social media observers noted the similarities between the two themes with some even pointing out similar melodies from Whitney Houston’s 1990 hit “I’m Your Baby Tonight”. Ignoring the latter, the X-Men theme does sound similar to Vukán’s music, the reason why the late musician’s estate attempted to sue all companies associated with the show’s profits including Marvel, Saban, Disney, Fox, and Amazon. Linda The Policewoman has been a cult favorite in its native country and is known for redefining gender norms during Hungary’s then-Soviet era.

For Wasserman’s part, he revealed (via Popverse) some of the process that went into composing the iconic X-Men theme revealing its starting point and his process, including the revelation that he composed it alone:

“In this case, Ron Kenan, the then head of music for Saban had an idea to modify a bass line from a song he had written. It’s a bit of a blur, but I’m sure that bass groove inspired me to work out the rest of the theme… I only work alone. My brain gets so overwhelmed with ideas that having the distraction of any person, or a phone breaks my flow. By the time X-Men was written, I’d learned to play or emulate any instrument so I would have played every part. Just me, a MIDI keyboard, and a computer.”

What Was The X-Men Theme Music Case Verdict?

“Until Next Time…”

The document for the plagiarism case’s 2020 verdict by the US District Court of Southern District of New York states that Ron Wasserman’s motion for dismissal was granted but the verdict stopped short of establishing that the X-Men theme was original (via Courthouse News). As per the ruling, the theme had similarities with Linda the Policewoman, but Vukán’s estate wasn’t able to establish copyright infringement and vicarious liability claims in court.

The case ruling stated that the plaintiff also failed to establish this against Marvel and Disney but did against Saban founder Haim Saban and Shuki Levy since they owned Saban Entertainment and could supervise the creation and distribution of the song. The court dismissed Ronald Wasserman from the case but not others like Saban’s team, with the official document signing off with an odd flair: “So, was the X-Men theme song an original creation, or was it an unlawful copy of the theme song to a TV show that aired in Hungary in the 1980s? Until next time, fair reader.” Wasserman shared his thoughts on the case briefly: “All gone. Over. I was removed from it early on.”

Wasserman’s removal from the case came after he filed a motion to dismiss and the court granted it on the basis of New York district’s lack of jurisdiction because his song was written in California. Crucially, there was no ruling on the copyright claim at that point, and after Wasserman’s removal, the case was deemed worthy of being considered further. Instead, the case was eventually settled (per official documents). Despite this legal controversy around the accused plagiarism, Marvel now owns the rights to the music with X-Men ’97 continuing to incorporate it.