Marvel has carved out a new and decidedly dark corner of the small screen on FX with Legion. The first season of the series revolved around David, who spent far too much of his time as a mental patient when he was actually a mutant with psychic abilities. Legion was renewed for a second season, and we now know who will play the big bad in the new batch of episodes. Fresh off of his role as one of the good guys of Wonder Woman, Said Taghmaoui will tackle the villainous Legion role of Amahl Farouk, a.k.a. the Shadow King.
Of course, the Shadow King has already been a presence on Legion, so he won't be an entirely new character in Season 2. After all, we saw Aubrey Plaza's Lenny functioning as the Shadow King's host in Season 1, and Jemaine Clement's Oliver Bird was the new host as of the end of the season. Still this new version of the Shadow King promises to be something we haven't seen before.
Amahl Farouk is a villain of innumerable faces, as THR reports that he's almost always wearing the guise of a different person. In his natural form, he is always impeccably dressed and groomed, although he hides his eyes behind a pair of fancy sunglasses. An expert on all topics and all languages, he nevertheless focuses his energies on grabbing and holding as much power as he possibly can. Reportedly born of the very first nightmare, he trades in the fear of others and delights in the sense of power he holds over those who still feel terror. He does not harbor any weaknesses of fear himself, making him a major threat to anybody and everybody who get in his way.
A big question now is when Said Taghmaoui will appear as the Shadow King. Legion played with timelines and realities throughout the first season, and we can bet that the story will be as complex in the second season. We don't necessarily need to lose the Oliver Bird version of the Shadow King in order for Said Taghmaoui to tackle the role. He could appear in the past or on another plane of existence in which his host body cannot appear. He's a powerful telepathic character, but even he has limits.
It should be interesting to see how Said Taghmaoui tackles a villainous role. Given the massive success of Wonder Woman, I think it's safe to say that most people will know him as the heroic Sameer. In making the jump from DC to Marvel, he's also jumping from heroism to villainy. We may have a while to wait before we see Taghmaoui as Amahl Farouk, however; Legion isn't expected to return until some point in 2018.
Check out our summer TV guide to see what you can watch in the meantime, and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in San Diego Comic-Con coverage!
