Viktor (Elliot Page (R)) with Luther (Tom Hopper) in Season 3. (Photo by Christos Kalohoridis, from Netflix)
Season 3 of “The Umbrella Academy” premiered on Netflix June 22, welcoming actor Elliot Page’s gender transition as a prominent plot line in the show.
Between its season 2 release in July 2020 and now, series star Elliot Page came out as transgender. In order to maintain continuity in the show while also respecting his transition, Page’s character Vanya transitions and takes the name Viktor in season 3.
“The Umbrella Academy,” originally a comic book series written by Gerard Way, centers on a group of adopted super-siblings, each resembling different superpowers. The family travels through alternate dimensions trying to save the world while also trying to get along with each other. This season features the Umbrella Academy getting caught up in a battle with the Sparrow Academy, another family of superheroes, while also trying to avert yet another apocalypse coined as the Kugelblitz.
Page said “The Umbrella Academy” showrunner, Steve Blackman, was immediately serious about writing his transition into the show. Blackman often asked for input from Page and other trans writers in order to candidly tell Viktor’s story.
“When we first talked about it, he seemed really excited about incorporating it into the show,” Page said of Blackman.
Blackman, in an interview with EW, said writing season 3 of the show was largely a collaborative effort. His main consultants for writing Viktor’s storyline included GLAAD vice president Nick Adams, and author Thomas Page McBee.
“When it came to Viktor’s coming-out storyline, we all knew it was important to play it for real and play it with sensitivity,” Blackman said. “What’s amazing about the Umbrella Academy siblings is, with all their craziness, deep down they’re very understanding about each other and this common childhood they shared. It really made sense that there’s a certain acceptance that they have for each other that’s quite touching. They wouldn’t admit it, but they do care about each other. They’re a real family.”
Tom Hopper, who plays Viktor’s sibling Luther, said the storyline was handled with an abundance of acceptance. While he said his character tries to make a big deal of Viktor’s transition at first, he soon understands his brother is still the same person he loves and cares for.
“I think if you love the person that’s transitioning, and they tell you that’s what’s happening, there should be a very quick acceptance of that, and that’s the way it’s handled,” said Hopper in an interview with Newsweek.
Season 3 of “The Umbrella Academy” can be streamed on Netflix now, and features actors such as Elliot Page, Aidan Gallagher, Robert Sheehan, and Emmy Raver-Lampman.
