One of the most celebrated Marvel developments in recent years has been the way Disney has folded Fox’s X-Men universe into the wider MCU canon via the multiverse. What once felt like a completely separate franchise is now being acknowledged through major crossover moments, from Deadpool & Wolverine to Patrick Stewart reprising Professor Charles Xavier in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It’s a move that reassured fans the legacy of Fox’s mutant saga still matters.
However, not every corner of Fox’s live-action X-Men franchise has been welcomed back into the fold. While the MCU is now filled with Disney+ shows, it’s easy to forget that Fox once attempted something similar with the X-Men brand. Before the MCU’s TV boom, Fox experimented with live-action superhero TV shows through Legion and The Gifted.
Marvel · Mutant Profile
Which X-Men Character Are You?
“Mutation: it is the key to our evolution.”
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Wolverine
The Loner
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Professor X
The Visionary
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Magneto
The Survivor
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01
Humans discover your mutant abilities. What do you do?
ADisappear. Go off the grid before anyone can come after me — I don’t owe them an explanation
BReach out calmly and try to have a dialogue — fear comes from misunderstanding, and I can help bridge that gap
CMake a show of strength — they need to understand that mutants will not be hunted or controlled, ever
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02
Anti-mutant protesters surround a school full of young mutants. What’s your first move?
AGet between the kids and the mob. If anyone raises a hand, they answer to me
BAddress the crowd telepathically or publicly — show them the children are just scared kids, not threats
CEvacuate the children to safety, then make the protesters deeply regret their choices
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03
A team of mutants needs a leader for a dangerous mission. What role do you naturally fall into?
AI work alone, but I’ll take point — someone’s gotta make sure nobody gets killed
BI coordinate the team, play to each person’s strengths, and keep morale steady
CI lead from the front — my vision, my plan, my responsibility if it fails
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04
A powerful mutant threatens innocent humans. How do you respond?
APut them down fast — talk later. Innocent people don’t have time for a debate
BTry to reach them mentally — understand why they’re doing this and find a peaceful resolution
COffer them a place at my side — their power is wasted on chaos when it could serve a greater cause
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05
A human politician offers to champion mutant rights — but has a shady past. What do you do?
AGive them a chance — people can change, and this alliance could mean real progress for coexistence
BI don’t trust politicians. Watch them closely, and the second they betray us, I’ll be right there
CUse them — let them think they’re in charge while I control the narrative from behind the scenes
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06
What’s your biggest flaw?
AI push people away — I’d rather be alone than risk losing someone I care about
BI’m too idealistic — I keep believing in people even when the evidence says I shouldn’t
CMy anger — once I commit to a path, I’ll burn everything down before I admit I was wrong
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07
Sentinels are hunting mutants in your city. What’s your move?
AHunt the hunters — tear them apart before they find anyone else
BCoordinate an underground network to hide and protect every mutant in the area
CSeize control of the Sentinels — turn the weapons of oppression into instruments of liberation
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08
What do you believe about coexistence between humans and mutants?
ACoexistence is a fantasy. Humans will always fear what they can’t control — mutants must secure their own future
BI don’t care about the big picture — I protect the people I care about, and everyone else can sort themselves out
CIt’s possible and worth fighting for — the dream of a world where humans and mutants live in peace is everything
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Your X-Men Identity
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Wolverine (Logan)
“I’m the best there is at what I do. But what I do best isn’t very nice.”
You’re the fierce loner who acts first and philosophises later — but beneath that adamantium-plated exterior beats a heart that cares far more than you’d ever admit. You’ve been burned enough times to distrust the world, so you keep people at arm’s length, yet you’d throw yourself into any fight to protect the ones who slip past your defences. You don’t need a cause or a manifesto — you just need someone worth fighting for. Like Logan, your greatest strength isn’t your claws or your healing factor; it’s the stubborn refusal to let the people you love face danger alone.
Fierce
Protective
Resilient
Untamed
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Professor X (Charles Xavier)
“Just because someone stumbles and loses their path, doesn’t mean they’re lost forever.”
You’re the visionary who sees the best in everyone — even when the world gives you every reason not to. Your greatest power isn’t telepathy; it’s an unshakeable belief that understanding and compassion can bridge any divide. You lead not through force but through hope, building bridges where others build walls. Some call you naive, but you know that real strength lies in extending a hand to your enemy. Like Charles Xavier, you carry the weight of a dream that most consider impossible, and you refuse to let it die.
Visionary
Empathetic
Diplomatic
Hopeful
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Magneto (Erik Lehnsherr)
“Peace was never an option.”
You’re the survivor who learned the hardest lesson life has to offer: the world will not protect you, so you must protect yourself. Your conviction is unbreakable and your patience is terrifying — you’ll wait years to set the right plan in motion. You don’t hate humanity; you simply refuse to let your people be victims ever again. Every action you take, no matter how ruthless, is driven by a profound love for those who share your struggle. Like Erik Lehnsherr, you are both revolutionary and tragic — a leader forged in pain who will bend the world before it bends you.
Resolute
Strategic
Ruthless
Unyielding
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Both arriving within months of one another in 2017, Legion and The Gifted couldn’t have been more different in tone or style, but both pushed superhero storytelling in bold new directions. Unfortunately, despite their creativity and critical praise, neither live-action show has received the recognition other X-Men projects have enjoyed since Disney and Marvel brought Fox’s mutants into the multiverse.
Legion & The Gifted Have Both Been Forgotten In Marvel’s Multiverse Madness
When Disney acquired Fox in 2019, it effectively brought the curtain down on the studio’s long-running X-Men universe. For a time, it seemed like the live-action X-Men would disappear entirely. However, the MCU multiverse has been a conduit for them to return. With projects like Deadpool & Wolverine and the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday featuring several returning X-Men actors, Marvel and Disney are now finally acknowledging how beloved Fox’s cinematic franchise truly is.
Sadly, Legion and The Gifted have been noticeably ignored, with nothing in the MCU even acknowledging their existence. This omission is particularly disheartening given how ambitious both shows were. Legion, led by David Haller (Dan Stevens), the troubled and immensely powerful son of Charles Xavier, was one of the most stylistically daring superhero series ever made. Meanwhile, The Gifted focused on Reed (Stephen Moyer) and Caitlin Strucker (Amy Acker), two parents protecting their mutant children in a world increasingly hostile to their kind, offering a grounded, socially conscious take on the mutant struggle.
Ignoring these shows means overlooking a crucial moment when the X-Men franchise was evolving beyond traditional blockbuster storytelling. A cameo from David Haller in Avengers: Doomsday, for example, could validate the importance of this experimental chapter, bridging the gap between Fox’s bold TV efforts and the Disney+ show-heavy MCU. Instead, these series remain disconnected, as if they never existed.
Legion & The Gifted Are Both Overlooked As Live-Action X-Men Shows
Polaris using her abilities in The Gifted series
The X-Men franchise has a rich history on television, but that legacy is overwhelmingly defined by animation. Shows like X-Men: The Animated Series, X-Men ’97, and X-Men: Evolution dominate fan discussions, often serving as the definitive versions of the characters. Even shorter-lived projects like Wolverine and the X-Men continue to receive more attention than their live-action counterparts.
This overshadowing is surprising because Legion and The Gifted offered something entirely different. Rather than focusing on Charles Xavier’s iconic team, both shows explored the wider mutant ecosystem. Legion delved into the mind of a single, unstable mutant, turning superhero storytelling into a psychological puzzle. On the other hand, The Gifted grounded its narrative in family dynamics and societal tension. By focusing on ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances, the show highlighted aspects of the mutant metaphor that the films often sidelined.
Both series also stand strong outside their X-Men connections. Legion in particular is frequently praised as one of the most unique comic book adaptations ever made, thanks to its visual style and narrative ambition. Yet, despite these strengths, they remain largely absent from modern conversations about both the X-Men’s on-screen legacy and small-screen comic book adaptations. In a landscape where superhero TV is now the norm, it’s worth remembering that Legion and The Gifted were ahead of their time, and they deserve far more recognition than they currently receive.