MCU Phase 4 Has 3 Perfect Opportunities To Set Up Legion For Phase 5

As the MCU prepares to move into Phase 5, the franchise has several interesting opportunities to bring Legion into the fold. Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019 gives the MCU full access to the X-Men franchise, which offers a wealth of interesting potential storylines for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to explore. Although it would certainly be exciting to see characters like Wolverine and Jean Grey join up with the Avengers, Legion has more to offer to the overall MCU franchise as it transitions into its next phase.

Legion is one of the most complex and powerful characters from the X-Men universe. As a child, David Haller’s psionic abilities were forced to the surface due to his stepfather’s murder, with David destroying the minds of his stepfather’s killers. However, this event caused David to connect with his stepfather's killers telepathically and experience each of their deaths, splintering his psyche into various personas. As a result, Legion’s personalities each possess different mutant abilities, many of which may remain unknown to date.

The MCU has recently begun to tackle the issue of mental illness, with heartfelt, introspective depictions of psychological trauma displayed in both Wandavision and Moon Knight. As a result, the franchise is better prepared for a character as complex as Legion than at any time in its history, meaning the MCU could benefit from his presence in more ways than one. Although his character’s introduction into the MCU remains an unknown quantity to date, there are several ways that he could join the franchise given the Multiverse-centric direction the MCU is headed - which could make him a major player throughout Phase 5.

Doctor Strange 2 Or Ant-Man 3 Could Bring Legion To The MCU

Despite the fact that characters spend years trapped within it, the logistics and breadth of the Quantum Realm remain largely a mystery in Marvel canon. Legion has spent a good deal of time in the Astral Plane, a vast and empty metaphysical dimension with limitless potential. As it is portrayed in the FX series Legion, the Astral Plane appears that it may be a pocket dimension surrounded by other frightening and unexplored realms. In this way, as Ant-Man further explores the Quantum Realm in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, he will stumble across Legion locked away within the Astral Plane and bring him back into the MCU. Given that the Astral Plane is a non-corporeal dimension, Legion’s psyche would likely have to latch onto that of Scott Lang’s, infecting his mind and controlling his actions from an alternate universe, which birth some interesting plotlines for Legion and Lang's respective characters.

While it would be fascinating to see the Astral Plane and Quantum Realm collide at Legion’s behest, it seems more likely that Doctor Strange will bring him through the Multiverse into the MCU. Patrick Stewart’s Professor X has been confirmed to appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, likely serving as the X-Men’s introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is difficult to say which characters Doctor Strange will allow through the Multiverse (if indeed he has any say in the matter), but Legion’s ability to travel through dimensions may supersede Strange’s plans. Whether he is brought through the Multiverse or finds his own way, whether as Dan Stevens’ version from the FX series or a new incarnation of the character, Legion’s compelling presence is precisely what the MCU needs at this point in its story.

Legion’s Powers Could Help The Avengers Explore The Multiverse Or Quantum Realm

Although Legion is not quite in control of most of his abilities, they could still be of service to the Avengers as they endeavor to understand their universe better. His powers range from shapeshifting and telepathy to inter-dimensional travel, with the full extent of Legion's abilities remaining unknown in Marvel comics canon. Finding a way to harness and control Legion’s power could lead to some fascinating discoveries about the inner workings and dangers of the Quantum Realm and the Multiverse, as well as laying the groundwork for what could be the Avengers' most formidable foe to date.

MCU's X-Men Could Make Legion The Perfect Adversary For Scarlet Witch

Doctor Strange 2 Multiverse of Madness Scarlet Witch new costume

Wanda (aka The Scarlet Witch) is arguably the most powerful character currently in the MCU. She has gone toe-to-toe with the power of the Infinity Stones, and her subconscious mind altered the reality of an entire town for an extended period of time. The power level in the MCU will have to increase significantly for any entity to feel like a genuine threat to Wanda, but Legion’s abilities and personal connection to the Maximoff siblings would make him a perfect adversary, and Professor X’s appearance in Doctor Strange 2 could setup Legion’s introduction for the standalone X-Men movie in Phase 5.

Although it may not prove to be the case within the MCU, super-powered siblings Wanda and Pietro Maximoff (aka Quicksilver) are the children of supervillain Magneto in the X-Men comics, and David Haller (aka Legion) is the son of Charles Xavier, with both David and Wanda possessing overwhelming telekinetic abilities that have taken a heavy toll on their respective minds. David is likely more powerful than Wanda canonically, but his multiple personalities give him less control over his abilities, which could make for an interesting dynamic between the two characters, and their parents’ established rivalry would give a depth to their relationship that could flourish on the big screen.

Legion Would Be A Perfect New Anti-Hero For MCU Phase 5

Legion TV show part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Among the most successful characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, the charming and mischievous Norse God whose narcissism and pride influenced much of the MCU’s first three phases. But given the overhaul of his character in the Loki Disney+ series, he no longer fits into the antihero archetype. Moon Knight and Blade could fill the role to some extent, but neither possess the same villainous potential as Legion. The emotional highs and lows of Legion’s character, paired with his overwhelming power, could make him one of the Avengers' greatest allies and one of the MCU’s most terrifying villains simultaneously.

David/Legion’s different personalities each have different goals and desires (some decidedly nobler than others), and each controls a different aspect of Legion’s power, which could make him a compelling and interesting villain. Much like the Skrulls introduced in Captain Marvel, Legion can take the form of anyone, anywhere, at any time, with his veiled presence constantly looming over various Marvel storylines. In this way, every encounter with Legion would be different, with new stakes and motivations each time. The various characters and abilities that live within Legion allow him to fit into effectively any story or role required of him, which could provide significant narrative utility for the MCU moving forward.

Next: Marvel’s Phase 5 Movies Are Already More Exciting That Phase 4