One of the stranger TV projects coming down the pike is Legion, which is just one of two new X-Men series headed to the small screen along with Hellfire Club. But Legion has something going for it that makes it immediately of interest, and that is showrunner Noah Hawley, who did phenomenal things with Fargo. And it looks like he wants to keep the acclaimed drama's breakout star close by as he has cast Rachel Keller as Legion's female lead.
The identity of Keller's character is still a mystery but she's described as “a scrappy, optimistic woman" whose powers may be based on physical touch. Unlikely that she'd be playing Rogue whose powers are also tactile-based, but that her identity is under wraps suggests she could be a familiar character. Legion centers on David Haller, a diagnosed schizophrenic frequently in and out of psychiatric hospitals. After an encounter with a patient, David begins to accept the possibility that the voices and visions in his head are real.
In the comics, Haller is the son of Charles Xavier and arguably the most powerful telepath/telekinetic on the planet. His multiple personalities manifest themselves as different mutant powers which David can wield. Hawley has called Legion a "standalone" series and has downplayed any connection to Xavier or the X-Men movies, but at this point anything is possible, especially with Simon Kinberg and Bryan Singer producing. The pilot is expected to get rolling early this year.
