David Haller has finally found his parents.
The official Legion Twitter account has revealed that the upcoming third and final season of the FX series, based on the Marvel Comics character, has cast Harry Lloyd as Professor X/ Charles Xavier and Stephanie Corneliussen as Gabrielle Haller. Both characters are the parents of Legion/David Haller, played by Dan Stevens.
Lloyd, 35, is an English actor best known as Viserys Targaryen on the HBO series Game of Thrones and as Jeremy Baines in the Doctor Who two-parter "Human Nature/The Family of Blood". In addition, he's played Will Scarlet in the 2006 Robin Hood TV series, and has appeared in episodes of Counterpart, Wolf Hall, Manhattan, Heroes and Villains, and The Bill. His films include The Wife, The Theory of Everything, The Iron Lady, Jane Eyre, and Narcopolis.
Corneliussen, 31, is a Danish actress best known as Joanna Wellick on the USA series Mr. Robot. In addition, she's played Valentina Vostok on the CW series Legends of Tomorrow and appeared in the movie Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. Her other television appearances include episodes of Deception, The Exes, Bad Judge, and Royal Pains.
Created in 1963 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Professor X first appeared in The X-Men (vol.1) #1 as Professor Charles Xavier, the son of a wealthy nuclear scientist who developed powerful telepathic mutant abilities after his mother remarried following the death of his father in an accident. Earning a Professorship in genetics and other science fields, Xavier began traveling around the world as an adventurer after leaving the army. In Cairo, he met a young girl named Ororo Munroe (later known as Storm), who was a pickpocket, and the Shadow King, a powerful mutant who posed as Egyptian crime lord Amahl Farouk. Xavier defeated the Shadow King, barely escaping with his life. This encounter led to Xavier's decision to devote his life to protecting humanity from evil mutants and safeguarding innocent mutants from human oppression. To that end, he founded Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters and the mutant superhero team known as The X-Men.
Lloyd will the third actor to portray Professor X in live action, after Sir Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy in various X-Men films. The character also appeared in various animated projects, including X-Men: The Animated Series (voiced by Cedric Smith), X-Men: Evolution (voiced by David Kaye), and Wolverine and the X-Men (voiced by Jim Ward).
Gabrielle Haller was created in 1982 by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum, first appearing in The Uncanny X-Men (vol.1) #161 as a woman driven into a catatonic coma by the trauma she experienced. At a clinic in Haifa, Israel, Xavier used his mental powers to break her out of her catatonia and the two fell in love while he saw to her recovery for weeks, with the help of hospital volunteer and their mutual friend, Magnus (the future Magneto). Over some time, the two amicably ended their relationship. Soon after, Charles left Israel, unaware that Gabrielle was pregnant with his child. Years later, Gabrielle became the Israeli ambassador to Great Britain, living in Paris with her young son, David. During a terrorist attack at her home claiming the life of David's stepfather, Daniel Shomron, David's mutant powers activated, ending with him killing the terrorists and being traumatized in the process. Haller turned to Dr. Moira MacTaggert, an associate and former lover of Xavier's, for help with David, who suffered from dissociative identity disorder and powerful psionic mutant abilities. MacTaggert was forced to turn to Xavier for his assistance, which ultimately led to the revelation that he is David's father.
Legion will return for Season 3 on FX sometime this June.
