Why We’re Worried About Fox’s X-Men TV Series

The X-Men brand is expanding into TV pretty rapidly, beginning in February with the premiere of […]

September 5, 2017, 3:50pm

The X-Men brand is expanding into TV pretty rapidly, beginning in February with the premiere of Legion on FX. However, a second X-Men TV series (one actually connected to the film franchise, whereas Legion is not); was recently announced, with franchise director Bryan Singer attached to helm the pilot episode.

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This new X-Men TV show will revolve around two parents who discover their child is a mutant and must go on the run from the government. They soon find themselves seeking aid from the mutant underground, as they fight for their child’s survival.

It’s a fine enough premise, but Here’s Why We’re Worried About Fox’s X-Men TV Series.

This Family Drama Has Been Done

If this new X-Men series sounds a lot like the recent indie hit Midnight Special, well… that’s because it is.

The simple fact is that this concept of “parents risk all to save gifted child” has been done many times over. With so many great stories and characters already loaded into the X-Men universe, we’re worried that this attempt to bridge comic book fantasy and family life will end up a one-season misfire like ABC’s No Ordinary Family.

The Shelf Life is Short

The biggest concern over this new X-Men TV series is how long the premise can last. Two parents having to care for their (potentially powerful) mutant child can hit all the usual beats in season 1 (narrowly avoiding danger and separation; losing one member and having to rescue him/her; the child coming of age and showing power, etc.). However, after that, where do things go?

There’s always the possibility that this concept could morph drastically (X-Men pun…), and that other seasons could see the mutant child going solo, joining a more traditional X-Men team, etc. But as far as the family drama aspect, it doesn’t seem like it can play all that well, for all that long.

It’s Still Not What Fans Really Want

Even at its height (X2, Days of Future Past) the X-Men movie franchise has been criticized for not exactly sticking closely enough to the X-Men comic books. As the franchise has gone on, fans have been calling for a change in approach that will bring more of the comic book material into the movie universe.

This new TV series could be something that finally experiments with bringing more of the comic book canon and aesthetic into Fox’s universe, but at the current time, it definitely doesn’t seem like it’s going to be that.

It’s a Wasted Reboot Attempt

With this new series being spun directly out of the X-Men movies, it has the opportunity to be the first testing ground for a X-Men series reboot that seems more and more necessary.

Instead, it seems like we’re going to get a TV series that attempts to create the X-Men movie experience on the small screen – which is a fun enough extension, but could be the start of a much improved universe.