Fox announced two X-Men TV shows last year, and while we haven’t heard much about Hellfire, but Noah Hawley’s (Fargo) Legion is shaping up very nicely so far. Following the news that Rachel Keller had been cast, the lead has now been revealed by Marvel.
That will be Dan Stevens (The Guest), and he’s set to be joined by Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) and Jean Smart (24), an incredible trio of talent for this spinoff series. However, Hawley actually confirmed last year that the show will be set in a different world to the films.
Marvel has released the character descriptions for each of the show’s leads, and while only David (a.k.a. Legion) will be familiar to comic book fans, it’s a very unique sounding group:
DAVID (Dan Stevens) – Diagnosed as schizophrenic at a young age, David is a haunted man, trying to find his way back to sanity, but he’s getting tired and is about to give up when he meets the girl of his dreams.
LENNY (Aubrey Plaza) – David’s friend, who despite a life of drugs and alcohol abuse, knows that any day now her life is gonna turn around, which gives Lenny the likeable energy of the impossible optimist despite her rough demeanor.
MELANIE (Jean Smart) – A nurturing, demanding therapist with a sharp mind and unconventional methods.
SYD (Rachel Keller) – Self-sufficient and street smart, Syd uses her sharp and prickly demeanor to protect her soft core, because even though it makes her a sucker and puts her at risk, she still believes in happily ever after.
Legion follows the story of David Haller (a character better known to comic book fans as the son of Professor X). Since he was a teenager, David has struggled with mental illness. Diagnosed as schizophrenic, David has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years. But after a strange encounter with a fellow patient, he’s confronted with the possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees might be real. It’s definitely an intriguing premise…
