Legion is an upcoming American science fiction television series created for FX by Noah Hawley, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Produced by Marvel Television and FX Productions, it is the first series by Marvel Television to not be set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The series acts as a stand-alone installment in the X-Men franchise^[1][2], with Legion being a mutant like the characters in the X-Men feature films. Producers have stated that the series will take place in a parallel-universe to the main film series, thus being set within an alternate timeline. Among others, Bryan Singer, Lauren Shuler Donner, and Simon Kinberg, key individuals in the creative team behind the X-Men film series, will act as executive producers.

The pilot, written and directed by Hawley, was filmed in Vancouver in the spring of 2016. On May 31, 2016, FX picked up Legion to series, with an eight-episode order. Production is slated to begin summer 2016, and the series will debut on FX in early 2017.^[3]

Premise

David Haller, a man diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, has struggled with mental illness since he was a teenager. But everything changes when he meets the girl of his dreams—a fellow patient—and is confronted with the possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees might be real.

Cast and characters

Main

• Dan Stevens as David Charles Haller: A haunted man, diagnosed with schizophrenia at a young age and trying to find his way back to sanity, discovers he may be one of the most powerful mutants in history.^[4]
• Rachel Keller as Syd: Self-sufficient and street smart, she 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.^[4]
• Jean Smart as Melanie: A nurturing but demanding therapist with a sharp mind and unconventional methods.^[4]
• Aubrey Plaza as Lenny: A friend of David's, who despite a life of drugs and alcohol abuse, knows that any day now her life is going to turn around, giving her the likable energy of an impossible optimist despite her rough demeanor.^[4]
• Jeremie Harris as Ptonomy: An outsider by nature, stand-offish and sardonic, he is a former child prodigy who feels trapped in the past.^[5]
• Amber Midthunder as Kerry: A woman of action with a childlike sense of wonder, she is a true savant who has lived a sheltered, but never dull life.^[6]
• Katie Aselton as Amy: The practical older sister to David, who does her best to remain positive, which proves difficult when her brother has spent years in and out of hospitals.^[7]
• Bill Irwin as "Shrink Man"^[8]

Production

Development

In October 2015, FX ordered the pilot for Legion, with Noah Hawley tapped to write and direct the pilot, in addition to also serving as executive producer.^[9] The casting of Rachel Keller in the lead female role was announced in early January.^[10] Dan Stevens, Jean Smart, and Aubrey Plaza were added to the cast in February,^[4] followed by Jeremie Harris^[5] and Amber Midthunder.^[6] Katie Aselton joined the cast in March.^[7] FX CEO John Landgraf confirmed at the Television Critics Association Winter Tour in January that the first season would consist of 10 episodes and that the series would be its own entity and not take place during the timeline of the X-Men film series,^[11] but rather in a parallel-universe to the films.^[12] At the end of May, FX officially ordered the series for an eight-episode first season, to air in 2017.^[13] Hawley told HitFix that the series won't feature any of the X-Men characters.^[14] Singer later revealed that Legion would connect to futures X-Men films.^[1][2]

Filming

Production on the pilot began in Vancouver in March 2016.^[15]