Legion
Series, 2017, Spinoffs, Set in Parallel world
Legion is #11 of 18 in release order and #15 of 18 in chronological order in the X-Men.
The story
David Haller, AKA Legion, is a troubled young man who may be more than human. Diagnosed as schizophrenic, David has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years. But after a strange encounter with a fellow patient, he’s confronted with the possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees might be real.
Legion recap
In season 1, David Haller, told since childhood that he has schizophrenia, is in a psychiatric hospital when he meets Syd Barrett, a woman who cannot be touched. A government agency, Division 3, captures him, but a group of mutants from a place called Summerland rescues him and shows him he is an extremely powerful psychic. Inside his mind, a parasite called the Shadow King, Amahl Farouk, has been living as his friend Lenny and other figures since he was a baby; David learns his real father is Charles Xavier. At the end of season 1, David forces Farouk out, but Farouk escapes into another man's body, and David is captured inside a floating orb. In season 2, David returns a year later and works with Division 3 to stop Farouk finding his old body, while a future version of Syd warns him to help Farouk. David's own actions grow darker, and he wipes Syd's memory and sleeps with her, so his friends turn on him. In season 3, David runs a commune of followers and kidnaps a time-travelling mutant called Switch to go back and fix his childhood, while creatures called Time Eaters attack the timeline.
Legion ending explained
In the finale, David's parents, Charles and Gabrielle, return to protect their baby son, and the adult Farouk persuades his younger self to make peace with Charles. The timeline is rewritten so that the baby David will grow up without Farouk inside him. David and Syd fade away beside the baby's cot, hoping the new David will be better. The series ends there.
Where to watch Legion
Legion is streaming on Hulu, The CW, and Mometu in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 8.1/10, Rotten Tomatoes 91%
Where it fits
- Release order: after X-Men: Apocalypse, before Logan.
- Chronological order: after Deadpool & Wolverine, before The Gifted.
What to watch before Legion
Nothing. Legion (2017) doesn't continue an earlier version, so it stands on its own. Legion itself is optional in the X-Men order.
Cast
- Dan Stevens as David Haller / Legion
- Rachel Keller as Sydney ‘Syd’ Barrett
- Aubrey Plaza as Lenny Busker
- Jeremie Harris as Ptonomy Wallace
- Amber Midthunder as Kerry Loudermilk
- Bill Irwin as Cary Loudermilk
- Hamish Linklater as Clark Debussy
- Jean Smart as Melanie Bird
- Navid Negahban as Amahl Farouk / Shadow King
- Luke Roessler as David Haller (6-8 Years)
- Katie Aselton as Amy Haller
- Mackenzie Gray as The Eye
Created by Noah Hawley.