Though Marvel's stronghold on the small screen tighter than its ever been, almost every new series manages to breathe some new life into live-action comic series. FX's Legion is possibly the most beautifully esoteric of the bunch, and its rabid fanbase cannot wait for the currently in-production Season 2 to get here next year. That Seasonal arrival won't feature the most notable new cast member Saïd Taghmaoui, who was set to play the human form of the main villain, the Shadow King. Taghmaoui has actually exited the project.
Though production on Legion Season 2's deadly head games started back in September, it appears Wonder Woman's Saïd Taghmaoui might not be making his big Marvel TV debut in 2018, as he walked away from the series at some point recently. The actor first pointed the exit out on social media,, and it was later confirmed by FX. You can see the tweet below, which is worded in a way that can be taken in two very different directions, as far as why he won't be on the show anymore.
At this point, it's still unclear why Saïd Taghmaoui is out of Legion Season 2, but an FX rep confirmed with CinemaBlend that the role is going to be recast for Season 2. To be expected, perhaps, it's also not known how much footage Taghmaoui filmed as the psyche-destroying Amahl Farouk, otherwise known as the Shadow King. Or The Devil with the Yellow Eyes. Or Nightmare-Factory Aubrey Plaza, to some viewers. Considering the character's rising emergence in David's head made up the bulk of Season 1, one would expect his human form to be featured in a fairly prominent way in Season 2, so it will be interesting to who will take over the role, and whether or not the already filmed footage will still make the cut. If there's anyone who can spin gold out of an unexpected setback, it's showrunner Noah Hawley.
Though he was meant to play the human version of the Shadow King, Saïd Taghmaoui was only to be the latest actor to personify the character. The aforementioned Aubrey Plaza played one version of the character in the form of David's late friend Lenny. The facially obese iteration was portrayed by Quinton Boisclair. Devyn Dalton plays the Angry Boy, and Kirby Morrow plays the Benny version. So of all the characters on TV to have one actor vacate the role, this is definitely one of the most flexible.
Legion Season 1 isn't currently available to stream anywhere, although it's available for digital purchase with all the usual suspects like Amazon, Apple, Google Play and more. While waiting for Season 2's upcoming release next year, check out other new and returning shows with our fall TV premiere schedule and our 2018 midseason premiere schedule.
