Which X-Men Does LEGION's Dan Stevens Want On The Show?
It’s been fairly established that the X-Men’s first foray into television won’t actually [...]
It's been fairly established that the X-Men's first foray into television won't actually feature any X-Men at all.
Fargo producer Noah Hawley's latest FX series Legion depicts the titular mutant David Haller—the son of Professor Xavier—who is struggling with his diagnosed schizophrenia that may be a manifestation of mutant powers.
Because of the focus on Haller, the series creator wants to focus on establishing the world and feel of Legion without relying on the previously established X-Men mythos. The show doesn't even feature the term "mutant" until about halfway into the pilot.
But despite playing within its own sandbox, the show still deals with super powers and abilities, and shares the same source material as the costume-clad mutants we've seen over the course of about 10 films, the door is open for more X characters to be seen on the small screen.
Dan Stevens portrays Haller on the series, and the actor recently revealed to Nerdist who he'd most like to see on the show. And, not surprisingly, it's one that would work well given those parameters.
"I've always found the character of Bishop really funny," Stevens said of the time-tossed mutant.
"I don't know why," he added. "It just must be the must frustrating and annoying thing in the world to be, like, the only guy who remembers stuff in a civilization."
In the Age of Apocalypse comic arc prelude, Legion goes back in time to kill Magneto before he becomes a threat while Bishop pursues Legion to stop him. Legion instead accidentally kills his own father, Xavier, changing the timeline and temporarily wiping him from existence.
Bishop remains, but is stuck in a new dystopian reality where Apocalypse has risen and killed most of the United States' human population. Bishop wonders this new world plagued with conflicting memories of how things were and how they are now, ultimately becoming a key figure in restoring the timeline.
"I've always kind of wanted to buy him a beer. I just think he must have a lot to get off his chest."
Legion premieres Wednesday on FX.
Are you excited for the X-Men's first foray into television? Tell us with our Anticipation Rankings below.
MORE: New Legion Teaser Image / New Legion Trailer / Legion In X-Men Comic Books
Noah Hawley serves as Executive Producer, along with Lauren Shuler Donner, Bryan Singer, Simon Kinberg, Jeph Loeb, Jim Chory and John Cameron.
Legion, based on the Marvel Comics by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz, is the story of David Haller (Dan Stevens), a troubled young man who may be more than human. Diagnosed as schizophrenic as a child, David has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years. Now in his early 30s and institutionalized once again, David loses himself in the rhythm of the structured regimen of life in the hospital: breakfast, lunch, dinner, therapy, medications, sleep. David spends the rest of his time in companionable silence alongside his chatterbox friend Lenny (Aubrey Plaza), a fellow patient whose life-long drug and alcohol addiction has done nothing to quell her boundless optimism that her luck is about to change. The pleasant numbness of David's routine is completely upended with the arrival of a beautiful and troubled new patient named Syd (Rachel Keller). Inexplicably drawn to one another, David and Syd share a startling encounter, after which David must confront the shocking possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees may actually be real.
A haunted man, David escapes from the hospital and seeks shelter with his sister Amy (Katie Aselton). But Amy's concern for her brother is trumped by her desire to protect the picture-perfect suburban life she's built for herself. Eventually, Syd guides David to Melanie Bird (Jean Smart), a nurturing but demanding therapist with a sharp mind and unconventional methods. She and her team of specialists – Ptonomy (Jeremie Harris), Kerry (Amber Midthunder) and Cary (Bill Irwin) – open David's eyes to an extraordinary new world of possibilities.