Image Credit: Marvel EntertainmentThe casting decisions surrounding Fox’s forthcoming blockbuster X-Men: First Class have been coming at us faster than a speeding bullet. (Yes, that is a DC Comics reference. Deal with it.) First there was Professor X. Then Magneto. Then Emma Frost. Then Beast, Banshee, and Havok. It seems like every time I turn around, a new mutant has been cast, and much like Deadpool at the end of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, my head is spinning (Though, still attached). For now, I’m just trying to ignore all the casting rumors. I don’t know who is going to end up in the final movie. I don’t know if Fox is trying to mislead the media and keep their superhero lineup under wraps. All I know is that there are a few X-Men I’m dying to see on the big screen, and I haven’t heard anything about them yet!
DISCLAIMER: The X-Men universe is pretty flexible. In the many iterations of the comic books, characters often come and go, team up with different mutants, live at different times, change appearances, and display varied powers. Considering First Class will take place when Xavier and Magneto are younger, I’m not sure that the movies can be quite so flexible, since we have already seen specific characters living at a specific time in this specific reality. Still, Fox could decide to do whatever they want with their franchise, and if the following characters can’t appear in First Class, maybe there’s hope for them in the upcoming Wolverine or Deadpool movies. Who knows? I just want to see them onscreen!
Jubilee
Back when I thought X-Men: First Class was going to be about the young mutants we’d already seen at the Academy, Jubilee was the mutant I was most excited to see. For the uninitiated, Jubilee is an orphan. After her parents were killed, she ran away from home and hid out in the Hollywood Mall, where she discovered her power to control energy plasmoids and create “fireworks” with her hands. Jubilee was one of my favorite characters on the old X-Men TV series, and I think a dose of angsty female rebelliousness would keep the junior superhero spin-off fresh, young, and accurate. Jubilee was actually seen, hands crackling with sparks, in a few throwaway scenes in the original X-Men trilogy, but I’d love to see her character fleshed out.
Colossus
Again, here’s a character we’ve already seen a few glimpses of in the X-Men franchise, but not nearly enough for my liking. A Soviet adolescent with the ability to cover his entire body in a super strong “organic steel,” Colossus seems like a killing machine. Still, though his exterior may be hard, he’s a softie on the inside, only wanting to use his powers for the good of society. In a post-Cold War America, a philosophical Russian good-guy is still something Hollywood rarely gives us, so I’d like to see Colossus play a bigger role in the X-Men movies. Plus, his special power was totally the best thing about the old arcade game, right?! Speaking of that game…
Dazzler
I’ll admit it. I don’t know much about this singer, who (according to Wikipedia) has the “ability to convert sound into light beams of various forms and intensity,” but I was sort of obsessed with her character in the arcade game when I was little. Dazzler would make these giant, red light bubbles grow out of the ground, which destroyed everyone inside them. I would seriously press the blue button over and over again just to watch this happen (at which point I would run out of my special power and promptly die), and while I’m not sure what else she’d bring to the movies in terms of character, sometimes an impressive special effects showcase is just fine!
What do you think, PopWatchers? Would Jubilee, Colossus, and Dazzler make for some good movie watching, or are there better X-Men out there? Which lesser-known mutants are you dying to see on the adamantium silver screen? Let us know in the comments!
This is impossible and will anger many old X-men readers like myself, who know the original X-men are Cyclops, Jean Grey, Angel, Beast and Ice Man. Angel and Ice Man have already been introduced in an incorrect time line. It’s blown. They shouldn’t have toyed with characters ages and their relationships. Ice Man and Rogue were NEVER a couple or as young as they appeared in the movies. Rogue didn’t even have the powers she inherited after killing Ms Marvel. The X-Men movie franchise sucks.
Ugh, what a cliched point of view. The X-Men movies were ADAPTATIONS of their source material. You’re mad because they changed the ages of two characters? This is just about as petty as fanboy whining can get. I don’t get it, did you expect them to also include Rogue’s insanely convoluted backstory into one movie? If you hated the movies, that’s your prerogative. But at least make up a somewhat decent reason to dislike them, or chalk it to your own tastes. You reasons for hating the X-Men movie franchise suck.
I agree, I don’t care so much that they didn’t stay true to the comics. But I DO think they missed an opportunity with Rogue. They had three movies to flesh her out, but instead they gave us this watered down, whiny, simpering version of a woman who, in the comics, was a kick @$$ villain-turned-heroine. Obviously, some of these characters’ histories are more complicated than others and so tweaking or even changing the histories is necessary for them to translate from comic to movie, but if you’re going to adapt a beloved character, make the adaptation BETTER and not worse.
Have to agree, this is pretty embarassing mate. The first 2 X-Men films were very good and the character dynamics worked very well. A tall handsome Wolverine without his yellow WWe suit was thought a bad idea and it worked perfectly. The Wolverine – Cyclops – Jean triangle was well “mirrored” wby the younger, fantasy crush version of Rouge – Wolverine – Iceman. Rogue’s “super strength and flight simply didn’t fit in with the “real world with mutants” take on the X-Men. The films are not the comics, anymore than the Cartoon(s) are. Even the Marvel Produced Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America and Avengers movies are not direct adaptations of the comics, (old school or Ultimate) and nor should they be, it wouldn’t work if they were.
However there is a real danger here with so many of the “main” X-Men already seen at certain ages, with certain actors. We’ve seen Jean, Scott, Oror and Hank (BEast) are the move X-Men’s first graduates so we would perhaps expect younger versions of those characters?
But please tone down the unrealistic fanboy rants.
As Kenneth the Page would say: “Oh brother”.
It’s hilarious to hear the nerd rage from someone that can’t even spell Iceman’s name right. It’s one word. Not Ice Man.
I’ll probably see it, but since X3 pretty much ruined the franchise, my expectations are pretty low. I would only want to see Dazzler if they used her original disco era costume.
Well seeing how they’ve ruined First Class already (by loading it with characters who were never there in the comics) I guess I would most like to see Rogue…done right. Bring her in as a villain (like she was) and then transform into hero. I always thought she was one of the most complex characters.
I also would like to see Jubilee although I don’t think she has a place there.
Honestly, this franchise failed in my eyes. I grew up watching and loving the 90s X-Men animated series, stealing my brother’s comics, and loving that group of mutants. But Fox has to come and ruin it all.
Jubilee…why? One of the most useless characters ever–ooohh fireworks
Thank you. Jubilee has one of the lamest powers around, and is one of the most grating characters as well.
And Colossus definitely needs a legitimate presence. .
How in the world can Havok be in a “young Prof X and Magneto” movie? At least Emma, Beast, and Banshee are supposed to be somewhat older characters. But Havok is Scott Summers’ (Cyclops) YOUNGER brother, Alex. So how does that work? And will we see Polaris too? (Lorna is one of my personal favorites!) I wish the folks who make these movies would actually consult with X-men comic fans and experts on this stuff. X3 was absolutely unforgivable to fans of the series (even those like me who gave the non-canon stuff in X-men and X2 a pass).
I agree. I would like to see all 3 of Magneto’s kids somewhere in the movie. Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver and Polaris. But if Polaris is in it, then it would make sense to have Havok in it as well, they were a couple for a while.
Havok iz 1 of the 1rst X-men at the institute.Also he iz only like 3 or 4 yearz younger than Cyclops so it doesnt matter.Who wouldnt want to see Havok shoot plasma bursts at the enemy.
JEAN GREY!! She is my favourite X-Man and I want her in this movie.
I’m also turned off a bit by the obvious non-continuity choices. The comics have some great material, why mess it up so much? In that vein, my fav x-man has always been Kitty Pryde and I’d love to see her kick butt and not be bogged down in a lame love triangle. But since Hollywood says “continuity be damned”, I’ve always like Wolfsbane, Multiple Man and Cannonball. They haven’t had any screen time yet and they’d be great. and Dazzler deserves her own movie
I would love to see sunspot or sunfire, maybe shatterstar, warpath, domino would be great (although more appropriate in deadpool or wolverine) and i wouldn’t mind seeing canonball or possibly skullfire or any of those odd random mutants
Let’s keep the whole Rob Liefeld stable outta the movies. I dunno if the props dept can ever scrounge up enough pouches for costume design.
MR. SINISTER. nuff said.
definitly needs to be in movie
I’m not sure how it would fit into the universe but Gambit should be included (WITH the red eyes and a Cajun (not simply generic Southern) accent…I don’t buy Shuler-Donner’s claim in the Wolverine commentary that the audience couldn’t handle him having red eyes all the time. THEY ARE MUTANTS!!!Notice that no one had a problem with Beast being fuzzy and blue the whole time!)
Also, he should have at least the beginnings of a relationship with an older Rogue who has alot more sass than Anna Paquin ever showed in the XMen movies!
Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes! I hated the promo shots I saw of Gambit in that Wolverine movie so much that I’m pretty sure I never want to see it. I WANT the dangerous-looking red eyes! I WANT the Cajun-not-the-same-as-Southern accent! I WANT a guy who does not have such a babyface playing my favorite t’ief. (Is it wrong that I also kind of want the major mullet thing that he had going on in the 90s cartoon? Somehow I love it on Gambit.)
The issue is that in the films there is a clear line drawn beteen those mutants who pas (look like “normal” humans) and those that don’t. Red eyes all the time opens up too many questions about how he gets along when it’s obvious he’s a mutant, especially 30 plus years BEFORE the widespread knowledge of their existence, seen in its early stages in X1.
Gambit would be awesome, I like Angel too, and Iceman
I agree with all your points except for Anna Paquin, she has grown a lot as an actress, just check out an episode of True Blood. you gotta admit shes better.
lets have a movie where bishop travles through time and fixes every mistake theses movies made.
Psylocke has always been a personal favorite, but after the X3/Jean Grey disaster, I’d hate to see what kind of mess they’d make of her story.
An ACCURATE–or at least not completely lame–Rogue would be awesome though.
YEAH PSYLOCKE!
if this is going to be the last xmen,lets not forget about sinister the badest of all good or bad.
Longshot, Spiral and Mojo for sure! I’d also love to see Cloak and Dagger, and the original New Mutants. Dazzler and Psylocke would also make the cut.
The best X-Men character really is Rouge. She’s complex, conflicted, and has some of the most serious powers. From a writers pov, she really has the highest potential for character tension and growth. To leave her out seems like a huge waste and a massive disappointment to me. Do her right in this movie and nothing can go wrong.
And personally, Gambit was a let down in Wolverine. I don’t know why movies think changing a character will somehow make said character better. Gambit worked just as he was. Making him young and commercial was not the way to go. Personally, Sawyer from LOST would make the best Gambit ever. EVER.
Those commenters looking for a Hollywood adaptation of a comic book to be 100% canon-accurate are fooling themselves. Of course with all the retconning of the past few years, how could you tell?
Those looking to the old X-Force roster are also fooling themselves but I think could be an awesome movie on its own if done right. Always liked the Mercenary Wing of the Xavier School.
So, my totally not-in-canon picks: Cyclops, Phoenix, Emma Frost, Beast, Iceman, Angel, Jubilee and Shadowcat(Kitty Pryde). And maybe Colossus. Original 5 for the Seniors, Emma the naughty transfer student, Jubilee and Kitty for the Freshmen. No Logan, no Deadpool.