The Next X-Men TV Spinoff is a Go: Check Out the First Teaser for 'The Gifted!"

These are good days to be an X-Men fan. Last year, in an unprecedented move, Marvel and Fox agreed a deal to produce two X-Men TV shows. We've already been left awed by the first series, Noah Hawley's Legion, and now Fox has officially signed off on the second - Matt Nix's The Gifted.

Written by Matt Nix and helmed by X-Men director Bryan Singer, The Gifted looks set to be a fascinating and atmospheric show. It tells the story of a family whose lives are turned upside-down when they learn that their children possess mutant powers. Soon, this family is forced to flee their home, and find their way into a mutant underground that promises to include some very familiar faces...

Sure, this first teaser isn't much to go on, but it gives us a real sense of the fun we're in for. After all, super-powers look so cool when you first get them - how many young telekinetics would be able to resist the lure of the vending machine? But Matt Nix's script promises to dive straight into the heart of the X-Men mythos, revealing a world that hates and fears mutants. In a world like that, are mutant powers a gift - or a curse?

The pilot for The Gifted was generally viewed as one of the most exciting prospects of the year, and this teaser is sure to whet fans' appetites. Excitingly, this is also Fox's first new series order of the season, and will leave them in a rare position - should Gotham be renewed (as seems likely), the network will be airing both Marvel and DC shows at once!

Of course, the real question is the nagging one of continuity - will this show be set in one of the X-Men movie timelines? Or will it, like Legion, introduce us to a whole new X-Men-inspired universe? Back in January, Legion executive producer Lauren Shuler Donner seemed to imply that it really would be part of Fox's main timeline:

“Matt [Nix]’s is much more a part of just the world in terms of there are mutants, mutants are hated and there are Sentinels — though very different from what we’ve seen before. You feel like you’re here in the ‘X-Men’ world. With ‘Legion,’ we’re our own universe."

With Bryan Singer himself involved, it shouldn't be too hard for even the continuity-averse Fox to join the dots. But this is sure to leave fans wondering whether or not to expect cameos from some of the movie heroes...

X-Men fans, rejoice! The phenomenal success of Legion has blazed the trail for more X-Men shows - and The Gifted is next. With Matt Nix and Bryan Singer on board, you've got a creative writer and a director who's intimately familiar with the X-Men franchise. This show is sure to be a hit!

(Source: Deadline)