Legion Cast Talk Past Season at Comic-Con, And A Bit of Season Two

When FX premiered its X-Men show, Legion, fans were stunned by the trippy plot lines, wild special effects and compelling story about David Haller, a man who thought he was insane but was actually the most powerful mutant of all. They also enjoyed quirky actress Aubrey Plaza as Lenny, who was David’s best friend but actually the thing that made him crazy, the Shadow King.

The cast recalled the first season in front of a packed audience at Ballroom 20 during Comic-Con’s first day. They were very happy to see Plaza but also Dan Stevens as Haller, Jean Smart as Melanie Bird, Rachel Keller as Syd and creator Noah Hawley. After starting with the”Bolero scene” where David’s powers finally emerge, they were asked about it. Smart said it was incredible, although she did point out they had to wear the same clothing for days because of how complicated it was.

Jeph Leob, executive VP for Marvel TV, was also there, saying how FX finally decided to tackle mutants. After saying “it’s strange how old lawsuits come together”, he said it was an exciting opportunity. He also praised Hawley for his vision of the series. “Noah is Legion,” he says. “He has created a reality in his television show that is springing out of his head, and that all of you are his creations.”

Stevens says now that the Shadow King is out of David, but he’s now trapped somewhere else, he has to learn what he is without that other being inside him. He says it’s a “wonderful responsibility” playing someone who thought he was ill for years, but it was something else all along.

Keller, who plays fellow mutant Syd, agrees with that. “It’s all about this exploration that ‘who am I’ and ‘what am I capable of'”, she says, “and how do I reckon with this thing that I thought was bad and wrong and sick, and now it is something I can use and help people with, and being deep in a relationship that she feels strongly about.”

However, people were really excited about seeing Plaza, who had a role that was light years away from Parks and Recreation. “It was a wild ride, man! It was really fun,” she says, “I kind of knew the broad strokes of where Lenny would end up, but I didn’t know how I would get there and navigate that. That was really challenging and really fun.” She also said the script was written in a dream-like way, which allows them to be creative.

Bill Irwin, who plays Cary, and Amber Midthunder, who plays a mutant named Kerry (that lives inside Cary) also talked a lot about their characters’ relationship. Amber thinks they’re like siblings, but Bill says it might be different than that.

Not much was revealed about season two, but there is the possibility of seeing the pasts of the other mutants. It was revealed Said Taghmaoui (Wonder Woman) would be the new form of the Shadow King. Also, the season will be extended to ten episodes. Hawley said the show is at the core a love story, namely between David and Syd, and it’ll be difficult for them to get a happy ending. Hawley also says all of the major characters have a secret, and seeing them unfold in a strange world should be interesting.