The Umbrella Academy 3 Is Here, Elliot Page's Vanya Hargreeves Turns Into Viktor Hargreeves

The Umbrella Academy 3 players (Photo: Reuters via ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Umbrella Academy series is back on air to feature a new story in its third season on Wednesday, June 22 on Netflix. The seven time-traveling brothers will introduce the world of Sparrow Academy which is similar to Umbrella Academy but in an alternate timeline.

In addition, the new season will also feature the transition of Vanya Hargreeves' character into Viktor Hargreeves, in line with the life of actor Elliot Page in the real world.

Showrunner Steve Blackman said he worked with Page on the storyline after in late 2020 Page declared himself transgender. Page has changed her first name, previously known as Ellen Page to Elliot Page.

“Elliot had called me after the script was done and said he was transitioning and I obviously wanted to support. Nobody pushed me to write it into the story, but I thought it was the right thing to do," Blackman told Reuters, quoted on Wednesday, June 22.

it's the moment we've all been waiting for. Season 3 of The Umbrella Academy is now streaming, only on @netflix. pic.twitter.com/tWuenIxk8s

— Umbrella Academy (@UmbrellaAcad) June 22, 2022

Blackman said he contacted GLAAD, an LGBTQ media advocacy group in the United States, and a trans writer as a consultant for the third season of the story with Page.

"We didn't want to present it as the main focus, so we had to find a balance between making that transition at the same time but at the same time packaging it in a way that felt authentic, sensitive and real," he said.

The second season of “The Umbrella Academy” ends when the seven brothers take action to stop the 1963 apocalypse and try to return to the present.

But unexpectedly, they arrived at another timeline. They find their house occupied by 'another family', the Sparrow Academy. Different from the present, Reginald Hargreeves, their father, and another version of Ben are also still alive in that other timeline.

Previously, Ben's character, also known as Number Six (played by Justin H. Min) only appeared as a ghost to his brother, Klaus or Number Four, in the first and second seasons.

“It was great to finally be able to act with some of the other cast members for the first time, seeing them look me in the eye for the first time,” said Min.

Based on the comic books by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, the series “The Umbrella Academy” has won the hearts of fans with its relevant family stories, catchy songs, and surreal elements.

When asked about the dynamics of the set, actor Tom Hopper, who plays the character Luther, said they didn't find it much trouble and played their characters in a fun way given that they got to know each other. "But it can get a little messy sometimes," says Hopper.