For a couple of years, shows loosely connected to The Avengers have dominated the world of Marvel-branded live-action TV. But now the mutants will finally get their day as FX has given a series order to Legion, the new show from Fargo creator Noah Hawley that’s loosely connected to The X-Men. Legion will star Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens as David Haller, a man diagnosed with schizophrenia who discovers that the voices in his head may actually be manifestations of a superpower. In the comics, David also happens to be the son of noted X-Man (and telepath) Charles Xavier, so hearing voices is kind of a big deal. But—as has been the case since this project was announced—we have no idea how or if Legion will connect to the X-Men movies or comics. It seems as if it’s being set up as a totally separate thing, but the press release does acknowledge the “X-Men world,” so who knows.
Legion will also star Fargo’s Jean Smart and Rachel Keller, as well as Parks And Recreation’s Aubrey Plaza and The League’s Katie Aselton. The Hollywood Reporter says that Plaza is playing someone named Lenny and Keller is rumored to be “a mix of [X-Men characters] Rogue and Spyke.” The eight-episode first season of Legion will go into production this summer, and it’s set to air on FX at some point in early 2017. Hopefully, someone will explain whether or not it’s actually an X-Men spin-off before that.