diff --git a/pandas/core/indexes/base.py b/pandas/core/indexes/base.py
index 8fb88e625d948..bd711a2624753 100644
--- a/pandas/core/indexes/base.py
+++ b/pandas/core/indexes/base.py
@@ -1167,9 +1167,12 @@ def _format_attrs(self):
         """
         return format_object_attrs(self)
 
-    def _mpl_repr(self):
+    @final
+    def _mpl_repr(self) -> np.ndarray:
         # how to represent ourselves to matplotlib
-        return self.values
+        if isinstance(self.dtype, np.dtype) and self.dtype.kind != "M":
+            return cast(np.ndarray, self.values)
+        return self.astype(object, copy=False)._values
 
     def format(
         self,
diff --git a/pandas/core/indexes/datetimes.py b/pandas/core/indexes/datetimes.py
index ac09159c23566..2400e5e749605 100644
--- a/pandas/core/indexes/datetimes.py
+++ b/pandas/core/indexes/datetimes.py
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 )
 from pandas._libs.tslibs import (
     Resolution,
-    ints_to_pydatetime,
     parsing,
     timezones,
     to_offset,
@@ -392,10 +391,6 @@ def _is_comparable_dtype(self, dtype: DtypeObj) -> bool:
     # --------------------------------------------------------------------
     # Rendering Methods
 
-    def _mpl_repr(self) -> np.ndarray:
-        # how to represent ourselves to matplotlib
-        return ints_to_pydatetime(self.asi8, self.tz)
-
     @property
     def _formatter_func(self):
         from pandas.io.formats.format import get_format_datetime64
diff --git a/pandas/core/indexes/period.py b/pandas/core/indexes/period.py
index 136843938b683..548032e5e3ee5 100644
--- a/pandas/core/indexes/period.py
+++ b/pandas/core/indexes/period.py
@@ -322,13 +322,6 @@ def _is_comparable_dtype(self, dtype: DtypeObj) -> bool:
             return False
         return dtype.freq == self.freq
 
-    # ------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    # Rendering Methods
-
-    def _mpl_repr(self) -> np.ndarray:
-        # how to represent ourselves to matplotlib
-        return self.astype(object)._values
-
     # ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     # Indexing