This Forgotten X-Men Is Even Stronger Than Superman and Belongs in the MCU

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Fans have been waiting for the X-Men to join the MCU for a long time, but the mutants are finally beginning to join in on the fun. Many X-Men actors are making appearances in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, and more characters are sure to be introduced soon. While there are many X-Men characters fans would love to see brought to life, there’s one incredibly powerful character Marvel needs to include, someone powerful enough to take on the likes of Superman.

That character is David Haller, better known by his alias, Legion. Even though Legion was the star of his own FX series, many Marvel fans don’t realize how powerful the character truly is. Legion has the ability to alter reality on a cosmic scale, which makes him the perfect counter to recently introduced MCU characters like Sentry. He also has a connection to one of the most famous X-Men, which is why he has to be part of Marvel’s upcoming X-Men reboot.

Legion Is an Omega-Level Mutant With Limitless Potential

David Haller Can’t Always Control His Powers, Which Makes Him Incredibly Dangerous

Legion is one of the most powerful X-Men of all time, but his powers aren’t the only thing that make him dangerous. David Haller’s mutation causes him to spontaneously create new powers, and that’s given him access to nearly every ability imaginable. He can shapeshift, fly, travel across different dimensions, and even warp reality itself.

While his vast collection of powers already makes him a serious threat, the most dangerous thing about Legion is that he can’t control his abilities. Legion suffers from dissociative identity disorder, and the powers he has access to vary based on which personality is in control. One of his alters, Cyndi, is a pyrokinetic, while another personality, Styx, can absorb minds and souls. He has more than a thousand different personalities, and many of them possess omega-level abilities.

At his most powerful, Legion is able to maintain and control all of his personalities, allowing him to switch between powers on the fly. In some cases, he can even subsume the personalities and their powers, granting him access to multiple power sets at once. Of course, this trick comes at a cost, and there’s always a risk that one of Legion’s personalities will affect him more directly.

It’s an incredibly cinematic ability, and watching Legion switch between different personalities could make for a standout scene in any MCU film. He’s also the kind of character who would only get more interesting with each new film. Whenever Legion develops a new personality, he creates new powers to go with it, so he’d always be showing audiences something new. David doesn’t always have control over his ability, but many stories have shown him subconsciously react to the situation at hand, developing the right power and personality for any situation.

Legion Is the Son of One of the Most Famous X-Men

Legion’s Tragic Backstory Would Be Amazing to See On Screen

Like many mutants, Legion has a complex family tree. David Haller is the son of Professor Charles Xavier and Gabrielle Haller, though his father wasn’t aware he existed until much later in life. Legion finally met his father during the events of New Mutants #26, and it’s safe to say the pair didn’t instantly form a bond. The years of distance between them and David’s childhood trauma made it difficult for him to connect with his father. Legion was also frustrated to see Xavier serve as a father figure to other young mutants when he hadn’t been there for him.

As a child, David was the sole survivor of an anti-Semitic attack that killed his godfather. This incident was the first manifestation of his powers, and David unwittingly destroyed the minds of the terrorists in self-defense. As he did this, he experienced their thoughts and emotions, which was deeply traumatic for the young child. David also absorbed the mind of the terrorist leader, Jemail Karami, who became his first alternate personality.

The experience left David in a catatonic state, but he began to recover after being taken to Muir Island and placed in the care of Dr. Moira MacTaggart. However, David developed more personalities during this time and even absorbed the psyches of MacTaggart and Wolfsbane. Eventually, one of David’s alters took control of his body. While he was able to overcome this, he was later possessed by the Shadow King, who used his body to destroy most of the island and take mutant lives.

That alone is enough trauma for multiple movies, but Legion has played a key role in other major X-Men events, like Age of Apocalypse. After recovering from his possession, Legion came to believe that he could help his father achieve his dream of peace between humans and mutants if he traveled back in time to kill Magneto. Things quickly went wrong when Xavier gave his life to save his friend, which wiped Legion out of existence and created a new and incredibly dark mutant timeline. If the MCU’s X-Men reboot were to introduce Legion and gradually build up to Age of Apocalypse, it could deliver a story that would rival the Infinity Saga in scope and scale.

Legion Is His Own Worst Enemy

Legion’s Weaknesses Keep Him from Feeling Overpowered

In many ways and in many stories, Legion has, unintentionally, become his own worst enemy. The various personalities in his mind aren’t always allied, often pitting his prime self against the universe. His role in Age of Apocalypse is just one example, as his story has unfolded in many different ways over the years. Even recently, when he tried to settle into a more “normal” life, one of his personalities betrayed the rest. The idea of Legion falling to either side of the MCU line is intriguing, especially with the X-Men potentially coming up against the Avengers.

Comparing superheroes from two different franchises can often feel impossible or incredibly biased, but when Legion is at his most powerful, he could easily win against Superman. Not only could Legion potentially absorb the Man of Steel’s powers, but many of his alters have access to psionic abilities, which is one of Superman’s known weaknesses.

But while many fans have complained that Superman is too overpowered, Legion’s weaknesses ensure that the character is always interesting. At his strongest, Legion is more powerful than nearly every Marvel and DC hero, but he could lose control of his abilities at any time and could even lose access to the powers that he needs the most. He’s an incredibly strong character, but because it’s so difficult for him to use his abilities, Legion’s victories still feel like a triumph.

Legion’s Story Belongs in the MCU

He’d Be a Great Ally and Enemy in the MCU X-Men Reboot

FX’s Legion series, which ran from 2017 to 2019, provided a clear blueprint for how David Haller could work in the MCU. Although the show made key changes to the character, such as portraying him as a schizophrenic, it still brought many of Legion’s powers and the Shadow King to life. The character was played by actor Dan Stevens, who has made it clear that he’s open to reprising the role. “I loved that character. I loved doing that show,” said Stevens in 2024. “If they want to bring it back, I’m here.”

Other characters from Marvel TV adaptations, like Charlie Cox’s Daredevil, have re-emerged in the MCU, so it’s possible Stevens will make a comeback. Even if Legion is played by a different actor, the mutant is essential to any future X-Men adaptation. Legion’s story is deeply connected to mutant strife, disruptions, and rebuilding. He could play many different roles within the MCU, potentially simultaneously. The real question is whether the MCU will be brave enough to give such a powerful and complicated character a shot.

“}]] With news of the X-Men finally making their way into the MCU, it’s time to think about the other characters who deserve a chance to shine.  Read More