Season 2 of the X-Men-inspired series Legion is just as madcap and utterly complicated as season 1 was. Therefore, the show’s creator, Noah Hawley, is being forced to answer some difficult questions. You know, like, when will Professor Charles Xavier make an appearance?
The FX spinoff has made more than a few references to the telepath, including his iconic wheelchair. After all, David Haller (Dan Stevens), Legion’s protagonist, is Xavier’s adopted son and has been battling the parasitic Shadow King since being recruited by a mutant rebellion. Still, despite the show’s many connections to Professor X, he’s yet to reunite with his kin on the small screen.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hawley addressed this and disclosed that it isn’t a “rights issue or a legal issue” holding them back. Rather, “it’s more about corporate synergy.”
“It’s not a rights issue or a legal issue, it’s more about corporate synergy. There are a lot of people with opinions and strategies for franchise development. But I think we’ll be victorious in the end because our hearts are pure.”
Hawley added, and rather honestly I must say, that, given the show’s non-linear narrative, the Legion team hasn’t quite figured out how to tackle the character just yet.
“We move around a lot in time with the show, I haven’t really settled on which version we’ll see.”
Dan Stevens has also jumped on the Professor X train, lobbying for Patrick Stewart to reprise his role for an episode of Legion when the two appeared on The Late Late Show with James Cordon. Stewart has famously stated that his performance in Logan would be his last as Charles Xavier unless it’s alongside Deadpool, but perhaps the three-time Golden Globe nominee will reconsider if his fictional son annoys him enough.
Either way, with or without the character, there’s still much to love when it comes to Legion. In my review of season 2, I concluded that “there’s never been a show better equipped to simulate the neurological sensations of being on dangerous psychedelic drugs.” In other words, if you’re not already watching, you should rectify that immediately.
