With a February premiere date fast approaching, FX currently has all hands at the pump to trumpet the arrival of Legion, Noah Hawley’s X-Men spinoff series set to break course from the franchise’s lore to focus on one David Haller, a troubled mutant played in this instance by Dan Stevens.
Those familiar with the X-Men comics will know that David is actually the estranged son of Professor Charles Xavier, but both FX and Hawley have so far been coy about whether their live-action adaptation will stay true to the source material. And that’s really been the story of Legion since it was ordered to series at FX.
Described as a “distant cousin” to its cinematic forebears, Hawley and the show’s creative team have stressed their desire to situate David Haller’s origin story in a separate world, all the while leaving the door open to incorporate some form of X-Men crossover should the opportunity present it. That’s something Hawley echoed in a recent interview with Variety, stating:
“With the X-Men comics, there are a lot of alt universes, so that has allowed me some leeway. And obviously it’s a sort of origin story for David, but none of the other characters that I’ve surrounded him with are from the comics. It’s sort of an invented world.”
To get would-be viewers up to speed on David and the overarching story of Legion, a new featurette has premiered online that takes you inside the show’s inaugural season. There’s also a boatload of high-res stills to peruse above, which shed light on the show’s ensemble cast. With Stevens front and center as Haller, the X-Men spinoff also has room in its ranks for Rachel Keller, Katie Aselton and Aubrey Plaza as Lenny, a chatty patient who befriends David while the two are housed up in hospital.
Here’s how Noah Hawley describes Haller’s journey:
“This is a show about a man named David Haller, who has been diagnosed as a schizophrenic and has spent the last five years in a psychiatric institution. He begins to get the sense that he may not be crazy, that he may have these abilities.”
Ready to have your mind blown? Look for Legion to premiere via FX on Wednesday, February 8th at 10pm EST.
