Marvel's FX 'Legion' Casts Lead And Additional Co-Stars

Dan Stevens, Aubrey Plaza, and Jean Smart have joined the cast of the pilot for "Legion," the story of a troubled young man. Stevens ("Downton Abbey"), Plaza ("Parks and Recreation"), and Smart ("Fargo") join Rachel Keller ("Fargo") in a previously announced role in the pilot, which will begin production in March.

Legion introduces the story of David Haller (Stevens), based on the Marvel comics character Legion, the son of X-Men founder Charles Xavier. Since he was a teenager, David has struggled with mental illness. Diagnosed as schizophrenic, he has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years. A haunted man, David is getting tired of finding his way back to sanity and is about to give up when he meets the girl of his dreams, a fellow patient. After the strange encounter, he’s confronted with the possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees might be real.

DAVID (Dan Stevens) - Diagnosed as schizophrenic at a young age, David is a haunted man, trying to find his way back to sanity, but he's getting tired and is about to give up when he meets the girl of his dreams.

LENNY (Aubrey Plaza) - David's friend, who despite a life of drugs and alcohol abuse, knows that any day now her life is gonna turn around, which gives Lenny the likeable energy of the impossible optimist despite her rough demeanor.

MELANIE (Jean Smart) – A nurturing, demanding therapist with a sharp mind and unconventional methods.

SYD (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.

Noah Hawley ("Fargo") wrote the pilot and serves as an Executive Producer along with Lauren Shuler Donner ("X-Men: Days of Future Past," "The Wolverine"), Bryan Singer ("X-Men: Days of Future Past," "Superman Returns"), Simon Kinberg ("X-Men: Days of Future Past," "The Martian"), Jeph Loeb ("Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," "Marvel’s Daredevil"), Jim Chory ("Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," "Marvel’s Daredevil") and John Cameron ("Fargo," "The Big Lebowski"). "Legion" is the latest project from Hawley and Cameron, two of the Executive Producers of the Emmy® and Golden Globe®-winning FX limited series "Fargo." The pilot for "Legion" will be produced by FX Productions and Marvel Television, with FXP handling the physical production.