Featured image courtesy of a trailer screenshot I took on YouTube. Creative right!?
The comic book universe rules the entertainment world right now. But you already know that because you’re reading Pure Fandom, where we’re still coming down from the 4-day San Diego Comic Con high.
What you may not have realized (or forgotten), is that X-Men is one of the earliest adopters of bringing comic books to life with TV shows and movies. The movie franchise started 16 years ago, and 38 Hugh Jackman movies later it’s still going strong thanks to Ryan Reynolds and Deadpool.
Thankfully, Marvel and FX are bringing the X-Men back to TV in a series called Legion. I’ll let you check out the trailer before I start gushing over it:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SZ3rMMYBLY]
Let’s start with the obvious: THE X-MEN ARE BACK. Admittedly I’m not much of a comic book reader, so most of my exposure to the world comes from movies and TV. The X-Men animated series was my fave growing up and is the reason I have a Wolverine t-shirt in my closet. When I see a new project surrounding my favorite mutants I’m always excited.
The show follows a character called Legion, hence the show title Legion. I’m not familiar with the character (regular person name David Haller), but that’s part of the allure with X-Men for me. New characters are consistently being uncovered and created, which will hopefully give the show depth and solid character development.
The trailer presents great action, but also a tension that seems to be at the core of the show and its main character. It also gets a bit goofy in the middle, but I don’t need my comic book entertainment to be dark and serious the entire time (looking at you, Zack Snyder). Mix in all these elements and I’m seeing the foundation of a solid show.
Let’s talk cast. Legion will be played by Dan Stevens, who you’ll certainly recognize by the end of 2017 between this show and his role as Beast in the live-action version of Beauty and the Beast. Hamish Linklater, who is excellent in The Newsroom, also features prominently in the trailer. He figures to be important in the show itself, as he plays an interrogator looking to get to the bottom of Legion’s ridiculous power.
Also, she flashes by faster than Quicksilver, but if you look closely you’ll find Aubrey Plaza in the trailer. Her lack of appearance in the trailer may mean she plays a small role in Legion, but we know by now that role will be dry, funny, and entertaining. You’ll also find Rachel Keller, who had a limited role in the latest season of Fargo but played huge when she was on screen. I’m excited to see how she takes on this role.
There is one final, very important fact when looking at the Legion credits. Noah Hawley is your writer and director. That happens to be the same Noah Hawley who created Fargo for TV. That show is one of the best on television since it started in 2014, so if Hawley can transfer his talent to the comic book genre we’re all about to get some quality entertainment.
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