Noah Hawley
IN PHOTO: Noah Hawley, executive producer/writer of "Fargo", participates in a panel discussion. REUTERS/Kevork Djansezian

"Fargo" showrunner Noah Hawley recently spoke about his vision of the Marvel superhero TV series "Legion." Hawley revealed that he wants to deliver "something whimsical and imaginative and unexpected," rather than just another punching and kicking show.

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Hawley talked about his expectations for the series in comparison to the superhero flicks already out. Hawley said:

"I always feel like the structure of a story should reflect the content of the story. If the story, as in this case, is about a guy who is either schizophrenic or he has these abilities, i.e., he doesn’t know what’s real and what’s not real, then the audience should have the same experience. [I'm aiming for a] surreal or dreamlike quality where it’s not just about running and kicking. There’s, whatever, 9,000 superhero stories right now. They’ve got all the running and kicking covered. I think my goal with this is to do something whimsical and imaginative and unexpected. Not just because I want to do something different, but because it feels like the right way to tell this story."

He continued talking about the time involved and how much more can be told in a series rather than a movie.

"We’ve got the time, right? It’s not a two-hour movie. It’s an 8- or a 10- or a 12-hour movie. Let’s tell the parts of the story that you couldn’t tell on the big screen," Hawley said. "What is it really like to hear voices or to be able to move things with your mind or to think you can move things with your mind, but you’ve been hospitalized and they’ve been talking you out of the idea that you can actually move things with your mind. If there’s one thing that television doesn’t really do, and has never really done, is to tell a surreal story."

"Legion" has only been greenlit for the pilot episode and will tell the story of David Haller, who is a young mutant struggling with schizophrenia and psychiatric incarceration. Haller then learns from other patients that the voices and visions in his head are infact real. The character is noted as the son of Professor Charles Xavier and Gabrielle Haller.

As previously reported, "Downton Abbey" cast member Dan Stevens will take the lead as David. While Aubrey Plaza will play David's alcoholic, drug-abusing friend Lenny, who "knows that any day now her life is going to turn around — which gives Lenny the likeable energy of the impossible optimist despite her rough demeanor."

Furthermore, Jean Smart has been linked to the role of Melanie, who is "a nurturing, demanding therapist with a sharp mind and unconventional methods," joining Rachel Keller as Syd who is described as "self-sufficient and street smart."

"Fargo" showrunner Hawley will write and serve as executive producer of the pilot alongside Lauren Shuler Donner, Bryan Singer, Simon Kinberg and Jeph Loeb.

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