We don’t know much about the upcoming X-Men universe show being prepared right now by Fox and creator Matt Nix, aside from the fact that original X-Men film director Bryan Singer is directing the pilot, and that it involves a family with mutant children on the run from the government. The family is supposed to end up with an underground network of mutants, leading some to the think the Morlocks might be involved. Although one actor has been cast in the part of “Sam”, we are not sure if he’s a comic book-based character or not. However, the latest casting is straight from the pages of Marvel Comics.
According to Deadline, Singer has just cast former Gotham and Once Upon a Time star Jamie Chung to the show as the teleporting mutant Blink. Blink’s real name is Clarice Fong (Ferguson in the comics), and she has the ability to teleport great distances, and can also focus her powers into blade-like energy. She was first introduced in the early ’90s in a story leading up to the formation of Generation X, but was killed off almost as soon as she was introduced. Due to popular demand though, the character returned in the alternate universe of Age of Apocalypse, and then that version started hopping around dimensions with another group of mutants in the series Exiles.
Blink has actually made it onscreen before, played by Chinese actress Fan Bingbing, in Singer’s X-Men: Days of Future Past. In keeping with that version, Singer cast another Asian actress for the role. In the film, Blink didn’t end up doing so well in the bleak future, but since that was all undone by a time travelling Wolverine, that means the current X-Men universe has a version of the character running around, alive and well.
The inclusion of Blink might suggest what this series is going to draw inspiration from, since Blink was ostensibly the lead character in the long-running series Exiles. If the “underground network” hides mutants from a hostile government, could they be hiding them in other dimensions? This would allow alternate versions of popular X-Men characters–maybe played by other actors–who aren’t too big to do a TV show. If they start casting other Exiles characters like Morph, Nocturne, and Sunfire, we’ll know this series is at least partially based on that comic series.
Are you excited about the addition of Blink to the X-Men TV series? What other minor X-characters would you like to see join her? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Images: Fox / Marvel Comics
