As The First Images Surface, We Look Forward To X-Men(ish) TV Show Legion

As The First Images Surface, We Look Forward To X-Men(ish) TV Show Legion

0 comments 📅02 July 2016, 13:00

legionHere at MCM we’re a huge fan of comic creator Si Spurrier‘s work. His creator owned series, Cry Havoc, is one of the weirdest and best horror comics on the market right now and he spins a pretty mean novella too.

However, he’s best known for his work at Marvel and a big part of that was Legion. A series that centered on Professor X’s son, David Haller, Legion remains one of the sweetest, weirdest and frequently funniest superhero books of recent years. The basic idea was this; David’s mutant power is to create a new power for whatever he needs at the time. However, due to a life crammed with near unspeakable trauma every time he does this he also creates a new personality to control the power.

Usually a villainous one.

David is one of the most interesting X-Men characters and Spurrier’s run did a fantastic job of exploring his powers, his world view and how he survives. Now, David is making the step across to TV. The series is described like this:

David Haller, a man diagnosed with schizophrenia, has struggled with mental illness since he was a teenager. But everything changes when he meets the girl of his dreams—a fellow patient—and is confronted with the possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees might be real.

The show has been very coy, so far, about direct connections to X-Men continuity and in this cast that’s a really good thing. David is a strong, unusual lead and while cameos would be lovely, he’s able to carry a series perfectly well.

david legion

Especially as he’s being played by Dan Stevens, the man they (well, us, well, some of us) like to refer to as Downton Stabbey after his magnificent turn in The Guest. If you haven’t seen that, read nothing about it and go watch it, it’s wonderful. Stevens has also been hugely impressive in Downton Abbey, Behind The Scenes At the Museum 3 and A Walk Among The Tombstones. He’ll next be seen alongside Emma Watson in the live action Beauty and the Beast.

Stevens is joined on Legion by Parks and Recreation‘s Aubrey Plaza and Jean Smart, seen most recently in Fargo. She’s not the only Fargo alumni on deck either, with the show’s creator, Noah Hawley, in place as Legion’s showrunner. Bryan Singer, Jeph Loeb, Simon Kinberg and Lauren Shuler Donner are also on board to executive produce.

With an eight episode season set to air next year, Legion has the makings of a sleeper hit and one that’s worth keeping an eye on. It has an incredible cast, a great set of production staff and huge potential. We’ll keep you posted as to how it develops but in the meantime, click through to Noah Hawley’s Instagram to take a look at one of the first behind the scenes shots.

 

No Comments

No Comments Yet!

You can be first one to write a comment

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.