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Noah Hawley’s X-MEN Pilot, LEGION, Casts Dan Stevens, Aubrey Plaza, Jean Smart

Now far be it for us to overstate our excitement for things (har har har), but this? This looks promising as all get-out: Legion, an X-Men-centric pilot from Fargo‘s Noah Hawley, has cast three seriously impressive actors—Dan Stevens, Aubrey Plaza, and Jean Smart—as its leads. And to say that we are here for this new FX series may, in fact, be an understatement.

In a press release on Thursday, Stevens was announced as the leading lad and Legion himself (otherwise known as David). A “haunted man, trying to find his way back to sanity” after being diagnosed with schizophrenia at a young age, David is “getting tired” of life and the tribulations within it. In fact, he may be on the cusp of giving up. Until he meets a girl—Syd, played by the previously announced Rachel Keller. “Self-sufficient and street smart, Syd 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.”

Also joining the cast is Parks and Recreation alum Aubrey Plaza as David’s junkie friend, Lenny. Doing a bit of a 180 for Plaza, Lenny is an eternal optimist who—despite years of drug sand alcohol abuse—just knows her luck is going to change and her life’s about to turn around. As one would expect from a Plaza role, however, Lenny is still described as having a “rough demeanor.”

Rounding out the already stacked cast is the indomitable Jean Smart. In addition to her recent work on Fargo, Smart has had an impressive career working on projects such as Youth in Revolt, Getting On, 24, Frasier, The Oblongs, and so, so much more. She is slated to play Melanie, a nurturing but “demanding therapist with a sharp mind and unconventional methods.” 

Stevens’ work in the seriously-so-good The Guest showcased the Downton Abbey actor’s unsettling-yet-commanding power, making him the perfect man to portray the slightly unhinged son of Professor X and Gabrielle Haller. For those not in the know, David/Legion first appeared in the New Mutants #25 book all the way back in March 1985, and had a dissociative personality disorder that allowed each of his different personalities to control a separate power.

X-Men producers Lauren Shuler Donner, Bryan Singer, and Simon Kinberg are all on board to executive produce alongside Hawley, with Marvel masterminds Jeph Loeb and Jim Chory also coming along for the ride.

Are you looking forward to Legion? Let us know in the comments below.

Image Credit: FX

Alicia Lutes is the Managing Editor at Nerdist Industries and the resident TV obsessive. Find her on Twitter being overly excited about small screen dealings (@alicialutes).

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