The X-Men TV series Legion has premiered to great acclaim from both viewers and critics alike, which has sparked fans imagination for what else from the X-Men Universe could be adapted into great television. The strength of Legion is its solo character focus, taking a B or C-level X-Men character and turning him into the centerpiece for some imaginative and surreal character drama mystery.
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Now that we’ve seen proof that a singular X-Men character can carry an entire TV series, we’ve dug deep into the X-Men’s character roster to pick 5 More X-Men Characters That Could Lead a TV Series.
Longshot
Politics and media have become intertwined topics in our modern social discourse, and the X-Men franchise has the perfect character to help frame that conversation as a superhero television series: Longshot.
The character’s original X-Men comics origin is a bit too fantastical and convoluted (ah the ’80s…), but the Ultimate version would make a good subject for a TV series. That story involves the African nation of Genosha, which tried to ban mutants from its lands. Mutant Arthur “Longshot” Centino remains in Genosha to help change lead the freedom fight – only to end up on a reality television series where condemned mutants are hunted down and killed for sport on the neighboring island of Krakoa.
The nature of the “media meets politics meets racism” story surrounding Longshot would make a TV series about very timely and relevant and fun, in terms of perspective (show within a show meta approach). The character also occupies a unique corner of the X-Men Universe with its own set of characters, so iconic characters like Mojo, Spiral, Dazzler, Arcade, Cameron Hodge, etc. would be free for live-action adaptation for the first time.
The Multiple Man
Jamie Madrox used to be known as “The Multiple Man” because his mutant power involves creating duplicates of himself. He declined membership in the X-Men, but was a part of the government’s X-Factor team of mutants. After nearly dying, he became a private eye in mutant town, and opened X-Factor Investigations.
The big twist is that Madrox’s duplicates are actually independent, fully-formed beings with thoughts (and sometimes lives) of their own. That has resulted in weird storylines where duplicates have tried to replace the original Madrox, thought they were the real Madrox for long periods of time, or caused Madrox to take on mental/emotional trauma from duplicates that have suffered greatly and/or died.
Like Legion, a Madrox TV series could play with perspective and the nature of reality in a way that would both engage viewers, and keep them guessing.
The X-Man
Nate Grey is basically a version of X-Men’s Cable from an alternate universe – a dystopian nightmare landscape in which Charles Xavier never formed The X-Men, and the villain Apocalypse conquered the world. Nate comes to realize that he is the most powerful mutant in existence – though his control over that power is nowhere near as stable as it needs to be.
The twist comes when Nate is transported between dimensions to our world, and must readjust to a life where the hope for peaceful co-existence between mutants and humans still remains. The only wrinkle is that the sudden arrival of an Omega-level mutant power on our Earth doesn’t go unnoticed; the X-Man’s arrival starts an arms race in which every side wants the potential power Nate wields, for themselves (including the X-Men).
The “Age of Apocalypse” remains one of most beloved X-Men storylines of all time – and you can bet masses of fans would tune in to see it realized onscreen for the first time. The show could use the Lost/Arrow approach, using flashbacks to compare and contrast both worlds Nate calls home.
Bishop
Bishop’s time hopping mission to secure mutantkind’s future has developed into several major storylines for the X-Men universe – but what makes the character a good subject for a TV series is his fluid position in that Universe.
Bishop exists both within the X-Men timeline and outside of it, meaning a TV series about him can move between different epochs of the universe, follow direct or indirect connections to the X-Men film/TV universe, and still spend a lot of time being its own thing. Along the way, it could introduce so many characters and/or storylines that could evolve into other TV/movie projects.
If fans want a character who can truly provide the bigger picture of a larger X-Men universe and mythos, then Bishop is the man to call.
Charles Xavier
Many fans thought that a show based on an alternative Batman origin story would never work – and yet Gotham is now a bonafide hit and ratings magnet. The X-Men Universe has much better backstory than a Batman origin that doesn’t actually involve Batman – and the character to bring it to us is the man who started it all.
We’ve gotten plenty of insight into Charles Xavier’s formative years through various X-Men comic books and movies – but like Gotham, taking a series set in its own continuity and letting the story of the X-Men’s founding unfold over several seasons would be great to watch. From Xavier’s friendship with Magneto, to romances with women like Moira MacTaggert and Gabrielle Haller (Legion’s mom), the series could provide so many fun X-Men Easter eggs without causing another continuity knot.
Best of all, Charles Xavier’s status as the most powerful mind in the world would be great for a smart and creative TV showrunner to play with. His powers alone could fill an entire season: learning to accept the voices in his head were real; learning to read minds all over the world; the unforeseen dangers of jumping into the minds of others; echoes that get left from intimate mind-contact; or even the surreal confusion of that first Astral Plane experience. There are so many layers to Charles Xavier: let’s peel back a few more of them.
