Okay, so there are two lists for me to make here as a response.
List #1.
- Editors can still say that writers should or shouldn't have certain content via their position of power.
- Writers have a built-in incentive to please editors/execs anyway, as a means of being considered for future gigs (the guy who compliments your hat leaves a better personal impression than someone who doesn't notice it).
- Editors, being people, can still influence a writer's perspective - but they have greater access and "standing" due to their position than anyone else.
I've seen a certain editor have a House of M portrait redrawn to replace Lorna, and ignore her as part of the Magnus family on multiple projects (Children's Crusade, Magneto: Not a Hero, No More Humans, Avengers vs X-Men, Axis). That right there tells us how much power editors have over writers, whether by direct order or by influence.
List #2.
- Saying Alex isn't in X-Factor doesn't mean he couldn't show up for a story arc, or for cameos, or get talked about repeatedly throughout the book (see also X-Men Blue putting the focus on him during Lorna's return, or ANXF bringing Havok on for multiple cameos to question her leadership and have Pietro spy on her).
- Even if he wasn't explicitly mentioned by name, he could be hinted at, or Lorna could be written in a way that implies an impact he has on her ("This guy I used to date let me tag along to see other galaxies," blah blah blah).
- Leah saying today that he isn't on X-Factor doesn't mean the situation won't change tomorrow. The studio behind the Wolverine and the X-Men cartoon thought they would get to keep making it out to season 3, then Disney bought Marvel and the show got canceled.
- Or even this: what if it's technically true in that Leah won't write it, but she's off the book after 12 issues and a different writer is set to take over that will immediately put Havok on the book.
I've learned over the past 10 years that you can't really trust what's said out of Marvel. In general, Marvel loves to toy with technicalities. In specific, writers can't control if, say, they turn in a script with no Havok in it and the editor tells the artist to throw in Lorna humping his suit in the background for one panel (which is also a good example of a Marvel style technicality -
Havok wouldn't be in it, only his suit).
In case it's not obvious, I've been burned enough by Marvel to know better than to simply go with what they claim is the plan. I need real evidence to back it up. Covers, pages, panels, etc.