Five X-Men Series Fox Could Adapt For Television

Earlier today, confirmation that FOX was in negotiations to produce a television series based on the X-Men hit the web. Details pretty much stopped there, but the prospect alone got many X-Men fans excited.

We started thinking about what direction FOX could go in with the series, and what X-Men series would make solid TV adaptations. Here are five such X-Men series that seem ready for television.

X-Factor

An X-Factor adaptation is already being rumored, and it makes perfect sense. Peter David’s X-Factor Investigations run seems like an easy fit for television. The mutant detective agency setup provides plenty of episodic stories, the character relationships are already written with lots of comedic beats, plenty of character drama, and a healthy dose of sexual tension. That all adds up to great television potential.

New Mutants

Using young mutants as the stars of a series has proven a successful concept for Marvel several times in the past. Teen drama is always popular on television, and characters like the new mutants have plenty of it. Add to that the whole “hate and fear” aspect, plus lots of super heroics, and this could be a very fun television adaptation. The only sticking point would be the teachers. The New Mutants have been mentored by the like of Professor X and Magneto, and those roles are played by movie actors who are probably too busy and too expensive to make regular appearances on a serialized TV show. Still, we’re sure Fox could find some creative ways to handle that snag.

District X

Television viewers love a police procedural, so the shortlived District X series could be a good fit for television. The series featured Bishop, a law enforcement agent in his own era, becoming an officer in New York City’s “mutant town” district. In addition to being an easy episodic setup, the series could also introduce characters from the NYX series, and maybe even X-23.

Weapon X

If FOX decides to take more of a science fiction, or military bend, they could produce a show focusing on Weapon X, the government agency responsible for giving Wolverine adamantium bones, and for interfering in the lives of many other mutants. This series would take on a dark tone, showing the seedy government underbelly of human-mutant relations, and possibly drawing from the recent Death of Wolverine: The Weapon X Program for inspiration. It could also reintroduce Sabretooth into the mix, and maybe even bring Fantomex into the universe.

Ultimate X-Men

On the other hand, FOX could take a route similar to DC Entertainment’s, and build a kind of wall between their film and television series. If that were the case, the Ultimate X-Men series could provide a great basis for the television series, with alternate takes on the history and personality of many iconic X-Men characters. At its best, Ultimate X-Men always read like a television treatment version of the X-Men anyway.