When it was officially announced last October that Fox would bringing be making two X-Men-related TV series, many fans were wondering how they would connect with the X-Men movies. After all, given what the Marvel Cinematic Universe has done with their productions on both the big and small screen, it stands to reason something similar could be done with the mutants. However, in the case of the FX series Legion, we wont be seeing any connections between the cinematic and TV endeavors.
Expanding on previous comments about Legion being a standalone piece, FX Networks CEO John Landgraf mentioned at the Television Critics Association press tour (via Slash Film) that the series will take place in a different universe. As he put it:
It’s not in the continuity of those films in the sense that the current X-Men films take place in a universe where everybody on planet earth is aware of the existence of mutants. Legion takes place in a parallel universe if you will where the government is aware mutants exist but the public is not. I wouldn’t see characters moving back and forth because they really are parallel universes.
Landgraf also mentioned that Legion is looking at characters who haven’t been seen in the X-Men movies yet, though this could possibly change by the time the show hits the airwaves. So it look like we can rule out this version of David Haller being Charles Xavier’s son, given how big a role Professor X plays in the movies. The differing public perception of mutants in these two projects also complicates any hopes for a crossover. Keep in mind that superhero stories love multiverses, so if Legion is on for many years, there’s always the slimmest of chances that one of the movie X-Men characters could end up in the Legion world. That said, don’t hold your breath.
Although Legion is still early in development, we have a good idea of what to expect from the project. Dealing with a strange illness since birth, David Haller was committed to a mental institution as a teenager. However, after an incident with a fellow patient, David realizes that the voices and visions in his head might be real. If he’s anything like his comic book counterpart, than we can expect the TV David to grow even more powerful as Legion progresses. Acting-wise, Fargo’s Rachel Keller has been cast as the female lead who has powers “tied to human touch,” but her character has yet to be identified.
Landgraf believes that Legion will air on FX sometime this year, so keep a lookout for that. Meanwhile, Hellfire is also in development for Fox, though we’ll have to wait longer for that one.
