Frequent X-Men film director Bryan Singer will serve as an executive producer for both shows, while Fargo creator Noah Hawley will write and executive produce Legion, which FX has already given a pilot order. Hellfire is still in development, with an initial script set to be co-written by Patrick McKay and JD Payne.
Legion will tell of the story of David Haller, who first appeared in the X-Men comic books in 1985. Diagnosed as schizophrenic as a teenager, Haller frequently finds himself in and out of mental hospitals, but an encounter with another patient makes him consider whether the voices and visions in his head are, in fact, real.
The original Legion character was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bill Sienkiewicz. In their stories, Haller was the mutant son of Professor Charles Xavier, while his powers were linked to a dissociative identity disorder that allowed him to absorb the psyches and superpowers of of others.
As for Hellfire, the show is set in the 1960s and tells the story of a special agent who stumbles upon a secret society of millionaires bent on global domination called “The Hellfire Club.” In the comics — also created by Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne — the group included members like Emma Frost and Sebastian Shaw, both of whom appeared as villains in the 2011 film, X-Men: First Class.
Hellfire and Legion are the latest additions to Marvel’s TV roster, which includes ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter — both of which have ties to The Avengers and the Marvel cinematic universe — and the Defenders franchise on Netflix. Daredevil, which kicked off the latter last year, is set to return for its second season in 2016, while the next title, Jessica Jones, will premiere on the streaming service on November 20th.