Ok, so following on from the news that Marvel and Fox are going to be working together on an X-Men TV show, I thought "why not do a list about it?" Originally I was going to do a list of X-Men characters I want to see in upcoming X-Men films, but that can be a list for another day.
I will not be including any characters that have already appeared in the X-Men films, so you won't see Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, Nightcrawler (even though he would probably be perfect for a TV show), Jean Grey et al. This is because I'm going to assume they are going to focus on less well-known characters in the show.
But with that, on with the list.
10. Sunfire
Ok, Sunfire. There are two ways I can see this guy being implemented into the show. First would be if they de-aged him and made him a younger hot-headed character, stubborn and hard to work with, as he was in his earliest appearances in the comics, and making him a second-generation Japanese immigrant. The second would be to make him an older, wiser leader figure, and just keeping him Japanese. Either way, his inclusion would give the series the more global and diverse feel that the films lacked. Plus, fire effects usually look pretty cool right.
9. Longshot
Well, first things first, the mullet has to go. It really does. So does whatever the hell that stupid thing he calls a hair cut that he has now. Just get some normal hair dude. But I digress. The only non-Mutant on this list, but that's easily changed, Longshot could quite easily be that guy who shows the main protagonist the ropes, be the leader of whatever underground group of mutants they join, the usual stuff. Get the right actor to play him and it could be gold. Or he could be the guy who turns up halfway through the season or at the start of the second season and becomes the fan-favourite. All I know is that someone with the power to affect probability is going to be cool on screen.
8. Forge
Another one for the diversity, but the main reason for including Forge is more to do with storylines. In the small synopsis for the series that has been released so far it is said that the government are hunting mutants. And what did Forge do when he was introduced in the comics? He made weapons for the government. Perfect link there. The government hire Forge to make a mutant tracking/ hunting devise, him not knowing what it's for and them not knowing he's a mutant. The truth on both sides is revealed and Forge becomes an ally to the main protagonists. Simple.
7. Marrow
Ok, she made a very minor cameo in Deadpool, but that was a cameo, so we'll roll with it. The idea here is to show a darker side to mutation, the more extreme effects that it can have on people (we'll get to another example later as well). The films have shied away from this, making everyone either very attractive, blue or both. Sure you have Nightcrawler and Beast who stand out from a crowd (we'll exclude Mystique there for obvious reasons), but can you think of any other mutants that couldn't pass for normal humans in the films. The tv show would be perfect for that and Marrow would provide a good doorway, especially if you follow the comics, where she starts out looking relatively normal but her mutation increases over time. It would be an excellent way of examining the effects of a physical mutation on how someone views themselves and how others view them, especially if you did it with a female character because obviously society puts a huge emphasis on a girls appearance.
6. Dust
Again, more diversity, because the X-Men are all about fighting against hatred. And there needs to be more positive representations of Muslim characters in the superhero mediums. So why not bring Dusk onto the small screen? Hell, we ain't getting a Kamala Khan tv show/ film anytime soon (as awesome as it would be), so give a less well known character a chance to shine. Her story is interesting and worth investing in because she not only has to deal with prejudices from being a mutant, but also because of her religion and trying to find peace between human and mutant as well as Middle East and West.
5. Caliban
Another one for the "guys you can spot in a crowd" group of mutants. Once again there are two very distinct ways you could use Caliban. You could have his original, more peaceful character from the Morlocks or you could have him post-Four Horsemen of Apocalypse (again explained as a further mutation). Either one could work, either one could be good. The bigger Caliban could be used as a villain as well, which could be worth considering. Depending on what storylines they go with they could use all of those ideas. There's quite a few possibilities here.
4. Husk
Ok, I always really liked Husk and I really like the idea of her mutation. I think it would be great to see on screen, provided they don't do the effects badly. It has the potential to be either really cool or really gross (or really laughable, but hopefully not). Also, bringing her family into the equation would add a whole extra dynamic, seen as she has quite a few siblings (including fellow X-men member Cannonball, whom she edges out on this list due to his powers being fairly generic) all of whom are mutants. We haven't really had a proper family dynamic like that in a superhero show, where the whole family has powers (it'd be like the Increadibles, and that'd be.... fantastic).
3. Mastermind
So obviously you can't use Magneto in the tv show if you're focusing on minor characters, so who do you make the main villain of the series? Mastermind has never been all that in the comics (Dark Phoenix saga not withstanding), he's more likely to be a henchman than the main antagonist, but a series focusing on lesser known characters may give him a chance to show his stuff, especially given his mind controlling powers. I know there is a possibility of him appearing in the films if they do the Dark Phoenix saga (again), but I'd rather him be on the small screen.
2. Northstar & Aurora
Two for the price of one. Again we have a family dynamic, but this pick is more based on the fact that they haven't appeared in the films yet (how?) and you're adding further to the outsider/ diversity element with the fact that Northstar is gay. Plus his backstory alone is worth putting on tv. Dude is a legit badass.
1. Jubilee
Ok, ok, ok. I know she makes cameos in pretty much every X-Men movie and is in Age Of Apocalypse for a bit (though not a major role and most of her scene were cut), but seriously, Jubilee could be a major character in the tv series if they were to go for it. And I don't want any of those "she's got lame powers". You try taking a firework to the face and tell me that it felt lame. Yes, Marvel have screwed her around a lot in the last 10 years, but who haven't they. If you just stick to the basics, a mutant girl on the run from the law after finding out about her powers and living on the streets, you've got the basis down for even a main character slot (hell, they did it with Rogue). She can be funny, sassy, deep, anything you want really. She's one of the most recognisable lower-tier X-men and you can go crazy with the sfx for her powers. Plus, despite all the hate she gets, she's always been one of those X-Men that I just really like. And I'm the guy who doesn't like Wolverine and Nightcrawler is my favourite X-Man. So there you go, it's my list.
So, who do you want to see in the upcoming X-Men TV series. Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
JR out.
