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FX is officially getting out of the superhero business — for now. At the Television Critics Association’s 2019 winter tour FX CEO John Landgraf announced that Legion‘s third season would be its last.
Created by FX-mainstay Noah Hawley, Legion was always one of the weirder superhero shows out there. The drama follows David Haller (Dan Stevens), the son of Professor Xavier, who also may be the most powerful mutant in the world. Over the course of the show’s two seasons the gorgeously stylized drama has followed David as he’s discovered his powers, battled his own internal demons and mental illness, and slowly come to the realization that he’s not the hero of his story. Season 2’s gut-wrenching finale, which focused on David’s rape of his girlfriend Syd (Rachel Keller), cemented that dark narrative turn.
Though the series has a critical following and a dedicated fanbase, Legion has never been a huge hit for FX. The drama rarely broke a million viewers per episode in live viewing. And though streaming and DVR numbers have certainly bolstered Legion’s impact, it’s never been as big as some of Marvel’s other shows, or as discussed socially. But Legion isn’t ending because of ratings, or lack of social chatter… Its ending because that’s what the creator wants to do.
“Well, I think endings are what give stories meaning. I said last year that I’ve never done a second season of anything,” said show creator Noah Hawley during a panel for the series. “I always thought about this as a complete story with a beginning middle and end. And it felt like a three acts of a story, and so this just felt like a natural place to end it.”
“I think on some levels what the show is following is this cycle of mental illness,” Hawley added. “The question is, can we get [David] back to some kind of good place, or is he gone for good?”
During a time defined by Netflix’s surprise Marvel cancellations, Legion ending on Hawley’s terms feels like a surprisingly gentle move. Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist were all relatively surprisingly canceled, and fans expect the rest of the Marvel/Netflix slate may follow suit. Legion, on the other hand, is going out just how it wants to.
Legion’s third and final season is scheduled to premiere in June of 2019.
