The Umbrella Academy showrunner Steve Blackman says star Elliot Page is smiling a lot more while filming season 3. Netflix's adaptation of Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá's comic book series premiered in 2019 and quickly became a hit for the streamer. The Umbrella Academy, one of the quirkiest comic shows out there, follows the adopted Hargreeves siblings who all have special abilities. Though they fought crime together as children, they're estranged as adults, left to come together only when their father dies and sibling Number Five (Aidan Gallagher) warns them of the impending apocalypse.
The Umbrella Academy season 2 premiered last summer, and a few months later, Netflix renewed it for more. Not long before filming on The Umbrella Academy season 3 began, series star Page (who plays the scarily powerful Vanya) came out as a nonbinary trans person. In an emotional social media post, Page shared his story and declared, "I love that I am trans." Not long after, it was confirmed that Page would continue to play Vanya on The Umbrella Academy; Netflix shared their support for him and even worked quickly to change the show's credits to update his name.
As part of a poignant TIME profile on Page, Umbrella Academy showrunner Blackman spoke a bit about how the actor is feeling on the set of season 3. It's very clear Page's coming out has had a positive impact on him, as Blackman said, "It seems like there’s a tremendous weight off his shoulders, a feeling of comfort." He added, "There’s a lightness, a lot more smiling." Additionally, Page said returning to The Umbrella Academy after his coming out is awkward at times, but overall is validating, since his co-workers "see and acknowledge him."
Page has received a great deal of support from those around him, including fellow Umbrella Academy star Justin H. Min and his former X-Men co-star Ian McKellan. Fans were thrilled to hear he would continue to play Vanya on the Netflix series, particularly since Vanya is one of the most compelling characters. Page's performance has become essential to The Umbrella Academy, and it will be quite interesting to see where Vanya goes next in season 3. It's incredibly heartwarming to hear Page seems happier on set; the world is always a better place when someone steps into their truth, and Page deserves all the best.
As The Umbrella Academy season 3 just began production fairly recently, it will likely be a while before it arrives on Netflix. Nevertheless, there are a lot of exciting things in store. The Umbrella Academy last left off with the Hargreeves siblings traveling to an alternate timeline where their formerly deceased brother Ben (Min) is alive and leading an alternate superteam known as the Sparrow Academy. This has startling implications for season 3, and audiences are no doubt eager to see how it will all unfold. For the time being, work on The Umbrella Academy continues, and it sounds like there's a lot of happy vibes on set.
Source: TIME