"Legion" may not cross over into the larger "X-Men" film universe just yet, but that doesn't mean the potential isn't there. Speaking to Mashable, Bryan Singer -- who brought the "X-Men" franchise to the silver screen -- teased that there will be some crossovers in the X-Men's future.
Asked what fans could look forward to in the "X-Men" film universe, Singer said, "Some crossover, is all I can really say. I can’t really speak to that. I come in and out of it, sort of, but I’ve been involved in it for about 20 years -- I signed the deal in ’96! I think there’ll just be crossover and standalone. It’s just the right thing to do. The 'X-Men' universe is every bit as big as the rest of the whole Marvel universe, so why not?"
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In addition to "Legion," Fox has ordered a new, as-yet-untitled "X-Men" television series. Singer will not only serve as executive producer on this show, he’ll be directing the pilot for the series. The official description for the pilot promises the show “will focus on two ordinary parents who discover their children possess mutant powers. Forced to go on the run from a hostile government, the family joins up with an underground network of mutants and must fight to survive.” Just last week, executive producer Matt Nix hinted that some familiar "X-Men" characters could show up on the show, though he didn't specify which ones. As such, Singer's above comment could pertain to this new "X-Men" series, which he has a hand in.
Singer also specifically addressed "Legion," the upcoming FX series from executive producer Noah Hawley that follows a mutant named David Haller but doesn't necessarily take place in the "X-Men" film universe. "Initially, this was really meant to be a standalone. That can always evolve," he explained. "Those kinds of things can always happen. That wasn’t the intention in the beginning. I think the intention of all of us was always to make something that could be a standalone show, and its relationship to 'X-Men' be a bonus for fans, and for discovery as the show evolves."
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Legion, whose real name is Davis Charles Haller, was first introduced to the Marvel roster back in 1985, and was created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz. The character is a multi-powered mutant afflicted with dissociative identity disorder; Legion’s various personalities each control a different power. The cumulative effect is that Legion is considered an Omega-level mutant (that is to say, incredibly powerful). Legion is considered an antihero in the comic books, as his various personalities make him unpredictable and susceptible to manipulation. He is also the son of X-Men leader Dr. Charles Xavier, though such a detail will likely be one of the biggest things missing from the upcoming FX series.
Starring Dan Stevens, Rachel Keller and Mackenzie Gray, “Legion” will premiere February 8, 2017 on FX.