WATCH C2E2: Chris Claremont on Nightcrawler and his return to the X-Men

If there's one name that’s synonymous with the X-Men, it’s Chris Claremont. Back in 1975, Claremont joined the Uncanny X-Men creative team shortly after the book was restarted with new characters. Claremont guided the X-Men for the next 16 years while adding and co-creating dozens of Marvel’s most popular mutant heroes. It's an unmatched run and a legacy that still holds up to this day.

At C2E2 2019, Claremont visited the Live Stage to talk about his latest return to the X-Men. Claremont's most recent Marvel title was a Nightcrawler ongoing series. Fittingly, Nightcrawler is also the lead character of Claremont's new story in Marvel Comics Presents.

To kick things off, Claremont told the crowd how he found himself back at the helm of a new X-Men tale.

"As with all things at Marvel, an editor called up and said 'would you like to write this story?' And I said 'yes,'" said Claremont. "So I wrote the story and then that led to another story, which is leading, apparently, to another story... But that's the way it goes."

One of the hallmarks of Claremont's stories is his ability to create believable characters who inhabit unbelievable worlds. According to Claremont, it all comes down to a simple writing philosophy.

"From the very beginning, as I learned my craft as a writer, the key thing that taught was... if you're going to steal, steal from real life," noted Claremont. "If you're going to create a character, the tools you use to make that character 'real' are the lives you see around you. The people you listen to on the street. The emotions you see on faces and bodies while you're sitting... in a Starbucks, watching the world go by."

Additionally, Claremont offered his thoughts on why Nightcrawler's character still resonates before sharing a few hints about his new story. But you'll have to watch the video for those details!