When the first “X-Men” movie came out in 2000, I was immediately intrigued by all the colorful, distinct characters and their unique mutant powers, and the possibilities for standalone movies featuring each of the characters. “X-Men” was good on its own, but it was arguably guilty of showing wondrous possibilities more so than satisfying those possibilities; it felt like the tip of the iceberg.
For the most part, the “X-Men” film franchise has followed the original film’s template: a big blockbuster that plays like a catalogue of possibilities, without digging into individual characters. Of the nine films so far, only three (two “Wolverine” entries and “Deadpool” – which hits Redbox on Tuesday) are “solo” movies. And even “Origins: Wolverine” was loaded with appearances from other mutants.
But things are changing. “Apocalypse” — in theaters now – has introduced the reset-timeline versions of staple characters like Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm and Nightcrawler. However, there are no solid plans for the next blockbuster with this team of mutants; there’s just a general notion that it will be set in the 1990s, continuing the one-film-per-decade trend that goes back to the 1960s-set “First Class.”
Although “New Mutants” and “X-Force” films are coming down the pipe (introducing new teams of mutants), the saga’s next definitively planned entries are “solo” ventures — “Wolverine 3” (March 2017), “Deadpool 2” and “Gambit,” starring Channing Tatum. The first live-action “X-Men” TV series will also center on one mutant – “Legion,” slated for 2017 on FX. Wisely, the X-universe’s movers and shakers seem to be leaning toward intimate character pieces more so than glitzy showroom samplers.
Here are my suggestions for other mutants they should consider shining the spotlight on:
Storm
In “Apocalypse,” Storm (Alexandra Shipp) starts off as one of the Four Horsemen, which is understandable considering that Apocalypse saves her life and lifts her from poverty to near-goddess. Exposed to Xavier’s kinder, gentler ways, she wisely switches sides. It’d be neat to get a Storm movie where we see her pre-“Apocalypse” origin as a member of a tribe of African magic-users (something suggested in an “Origins: Wolverine” deleted scene).
Then the story could shift to her post-“Apocalypse” years when she becomes a benevolent leader of her former tribe, ultimately learning leadership and teaching skills essential to the X-team and Xavier’s school. The world could use an example of a powerful person behaving like a leader rather than a ruler; Storm perfectly fits the bill.
Psylocke
In “Apocalypse,” Psylocke (Olivia Munn) is even more loosely sketched than Storm, but she looks awesome and should be explored further. Like Storm, Psylocke leads a shady life of low-level crime until Apocalypse takes her under his wing; unlike Storm, she doesn’t join the X-Men at the end of the picture. From a comic-book perspective, this is odd, because Psylocke is traditionally a good guy. But there’s a movie to be made from this: Whereas the choice was easy for Storm, it’s hard for Psylocke. What makes her eventually switch to Xavier’s side?
Jean Grey and Cyclops
“X-Men 3: The Last Stand” touched on the “Dark Phoenix” saga, where Jean Grey turns evil. She ends up dying, and killing Cyclops, too. It would be neat to see a fuller exploration of this famous story on the reset timeline, but with a happier ending for lovebirds Jean (Sophie Turner) and Cyclops (Tye Sheridan). Entertainment Weekly reports that “Apocalypse” co-writer Simon Kinberg is interested in adapting this yarn. Perhaps this is the 1990s-set blockbuster the producers have alluded to, but I think it will work best if it keeps the focus on Jean and Scott.
Rogue
On the original movie timeline, an adaptation of the comics’ tragic romance between Gambit and Rogue was unlikely because they weren’t contemporaries. Gambit was a young man in the ’80s (“Origins: Wolverine”) and Rogue was a young woman in the 2000s. The reset timeline now makes this romance possible.
After Tatum’s “Gambit” tells Remy LeBeau’s origin story, “Rogue” could cast Anna Paquin again, or it could recast the role using the “reset timeline” logic. Or maybe Rogue will be in “Gambit” itself, but the IMDB cast list currently shows only Tatum. For many reasons – from the popularity of the comic version to the fact that Rogue was the focal character of the 2000 movie – a Rogue movie is ridiculously overdue.
Cable
Although he hasn’t yet been cast, he’ll be introduced in “Deadpool 2,” and some think the film will be titled “Cable & Deadpool” by the time it hits theaters. To someone interested in continuity, what really makes Cable (broadly speaking, he’s the offspring of Jean and Scott in the comics) intriguing is his association with time travel. The X-saga could benefit greatly from a cool, “Terminator”-style time travel movie that explains different versions of the same character appearing at different points on the timeline. “Days of Future Past” did some of this work, but still left plenty of unexplained questions.
It might be neat to see a decades-spanning story where Cable brings a young Emma Frost from the 1960s to the 1980s, thus splitting that character into different timelines and explaining the “First Class”/ “Origins: Wolverine” discrepancy. Similar tricks could be pulled off to explain the multiple Psylockes and Moira MacTaggarts and Trasks and Deadpools. Cable does not possess a time-traveling superpower – he needs to use a time machine, like all of us – but I think he’d be a good central figure for this story idea because time travel is central to his comic-book life.
(Although he does have ingrained time-travel powers, I shy away from suggesting a “Legion” film because he’ll be on TV, and the producers have said they won’t include any X-Men from the film saga.)
Which “X-Men” saga characters would you like to see become stars of their own movie? Share your thoughts below.