The X-Men-based TV series, Legion , likely will be coming to FX by the end of 2016.

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FX President John Landgraf spoke to critics at the 2016 winter Television Critics Association press tour about the new 20th Century Fox/FX/Marvel collaboration, which Fargo's Noah Hawley is serving as showrunner on. Fargo actress Rachel Keller was recently cast in an unknown role on the series."We're quite well along. We've had a writing staff working. We've seen not only the pilot but several episodes and we're well in process of casting," he said. "I would anticipate that Legion would go on the air some time in 2016, this year."Legion centers on the story of David Haller, the alleged son of Professor X who was previously diagnosed with Schizophrenia before realizing his supposed illness was actually something more. Landgraf said this potential series won't take place within the X-Men film universe."It's not in the continuity of those films in the sense the current X-Men films take place in a universe in which everybody on planet Earth is aware of the existence of mutants," he said. "The series Legion takes place in a parallel universe, if you will, in which the US government is in the early days of being aware that something called mutants exist but the public is not. I wouldn't foresee characters moving back and forth because they really are parallel universes."Though Legion has not officially been ordered to series, FX has commissioned several scripts and Landgraf is optimistic that the comic book series will get a full series order."We don't tend to order series straight out the gate because I still really believe in the pilot process," he said. "We really think of it as a series. We're already in active prep. We're building sets, and our writers room has already been assembled. ... The vast majority of things that we pilot do go forward to series.""I'm pretty optimistic about Legion," Landgraf added. "The scripts are extraordinary."FX has signed a three-year deal with Hawley to continue his duties as Fargo showrunner and develop new projects. This is similar to the type of creator deal FX has with Louis CK, who created Louie and also is a producer on upcoming projects Baskets and Better Things. When asked if he's concerned that creating Legion might keep Hawley away from his commitment to Fargo, which won't premiere on FX until 2017, Landgraf shared his outlook on his creative deals."I think [Hawley] can do Fargo and Legion at the same time, and I would imagine I can think he would do something else too," he said. "Part of what Im feeling about television in general is ... I'm starting to feel like the process of making television can be much more fluid."Landgraf said he's willing to let the process of creating TV shows follow the demands of the creator instead of the network. "I'd rather make better shows on a different, more discursive time frame," he said.Asked shortly after if Legion might directly include any characters we've also met in the X-Men films, Landgraf replied, "It’s still in process but I think at the moment they’re all new characters... But I’m not 100% sure that'll be the case by the time it airs."As for the time frame of the show, Landgraf revealed, "It might be a few years in the past," while also saying it will be a 10-episode season, should it get the greenlight, like Hawley's Fargo seasons.

Terri Schwartz is Entertainment Editor at IGN. Follow her on Twitter at @Terri_Schwartz