‘Legion’ Season 2: Navid Negahban Announced As New Shadow King

During FX’s panel at the Winter 2019 TCA press announcements, we learned which actor will portray X-Men villain The Shadow King in season 2 of Legion! Homeland actor Navid Negahban will be taking over the role of Amahl Farouk/Shadow King, which was played (to much critical acclaim) by actress Aubrey Plaza in season 1.

Negahban is actually stepping in to replace Wonder Woman actor Said Taghmaoui, who dropped out of season 2’s production back in November. Given the ethnic background of both actors, there’s fair reason to believe that season 2 of Legion could actually explore more of the Shadow King’s past as the actual Amahl Farouk, inlcuding his ultimate showdown with Charles Xavier, which left his physical body empty, and his mind trapped on the Astral Plane.

We’ve already gotten hints that Legion could be bringing a young Charles Xavier into the mix soon; and during the show’s Comic-Con panel, creator Noah Hawley admitted teased the following:

“I remember when Professor X had that battle with the Shadow King [in the comic books]. They’re just sitting in the restaurant, and no one would know they’re battling on this other astral plane. When the Shadow King loses, his head just falls down on the table. […] It always felt like this really interesting thing we could build into.”

Legion has been adept at taking famous X-Men moments and adapting them for the screen in uniquely high-art fashion. Two psychic powerhouses engaged in an insane metaphysical battle while their physical bodies sit mundanely in a restaurant, sounds exactly like a the kind of sequence that Hawley could stretch into an entire episode.

Legion season 2 will premiere sometime in April.