'Legion' news: Will Professor X appear in the show?

A promotional still from "Legion"Facebook/Asia.Legion

The first season of "Legion" heavily hinted that Charles Xavier, otherwise known as Professor X, may make an appearance in the Marvel series since he is the birth father of David Haller (Dan Stevens).

One question that fans are asking now is who will be cast as the character should he make an appearance in the show. Sir Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy both portrayed the characters in the "X-Men" films. The former even said to Stevens in an episode of "The Late Late Show with James Corden" that he was interested in reprising the character in the show. He joked that he received a job offer for "Legion," and he was "absolutely" making an appearance there.

Showrunner Noah Hawley said in a conference call with reporters that bringing either actor on the show would also be a matter of discussions between studios. He said, "It's a creative conversation, but also a sort of corporate conversation on some level, in terms of the movie studio and their relationship to the X-Men and the characters they want in the movies and want to protect potentially."

Then again, this is no guarantee that either one will play Professor X in the television series, especially given their salary level. As such, it is likely that a new actor will be cast instead, should the leader of the X-Men be brought into the show for its second season.

On the other hand, the revelation that David is Professor X's son is not necessarily an indication that the telepathic mutant will make an appearance. According to Hawley, he designed "Legion" in such a way that the story can go on without Charles Xavier ever showing up in the show. Vanity Fair reported that Hawley stated on a roundtable with reporters that he wants to create a unique story for the series instead of "re-enacting issues of the comic book."

No date has been announced yet on when season 2 will premiere. However, Hawley indicated that new episodes will air about a year from now. "I think our goal is to hit the same air date next year," he said.

"Legion" airs on FX.