Superheroes have been shown in comics and on-screen for a very long time. The reasons why they are so popular is because we try to relate to them and in a way, they become our role models. They shape our childhoods and even become a safe place for us.
Over the years, we see more diverse superheroes, women and men. Last year, Black Panther was a worldwide success because a black cast was able to show the strength of their tribe and shared a unity of peace. In 2017, Wonder Woman inspired women, both younger and older, that they can do anything through their gifted qualities such as resilience, emotions, and strength.
While taking into account how diversity is kicking down doors in Hollywood, Umbrella Academy writer Jeremy Slater wanted to tell the stories of each unique character. “I think just the real world is inclusive and diverse, and this family is,” Steve Blackman, the showrunner of The Umbrella Academy, told THR.
The show is based on a comic book series by Gerard Way. The casting of the show was different from what Way expected. “It was something we talked about very early on because in the book all the characters are just white, all the siblings,” Jeremy Slater told THR. “And Gerard Way was like, look, I was in my 20s when I wrote that. I wasn’t thinking about diversity necessarily.”
The center of the show is all about family. A family that includes different personalities, different looks, but with the same love for each other.
“I think every family has the heroes and the quiet wallflowers who everyone kind of looks past,” Slater told THR. “The brilliance of the book that [Gerard Way] created is that even though these characters are really outlandish, I think you can always see yourself as one of them.”
Umbrella Academy will premiere on February 15 on Netflix.