Back in August, we reported that Marvel was moving forward on an adaptation of Brian K. Vaughan’s comic series Runaways as a TV show for Hulu. Gossip Girl creators and showrunners Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage would be handling the series, which is about a group of teenagers who discover that their parents are a cadre of supervillains known as “The Pride” and runaway only to discover their unusual birthrights. The original team consists of prodigy Alex Wilder, witch Nico Minoru, alien Karolina Dean, mutant Molly Hayes, tech-aided Chase Stein, and Gertrude Yorkes, who has a telepathic link with a dinosaur named Old Lace.
Today, Marvel has announced a cast of young up-and-coming actors to play the six leads of the show. Visually, they fit the bill (although Gert is a little heavier in the comics, and heaven forbid we ever get a female actress who is slightly overweight), but the character descriptions are atrocious. If you take a step back, they’re generally correct in assessing the characters (Nico is a bit of a loner, Gert is brainy, Chase seems like a dumb jock), but they’re also way off the mark in terms of the details. Reading these character descriptions, it sounds like archetypes for an after-school special.
The most offensive one of the bunch is for Gert: “Never passing up a moment to stand on a soapbox, Gert sometimes wields her persona as a brash social justice warrior to mask her true feelings.”
You see, caring about social issues is just an act! She doesn’t really have empathy! Her true feelings are about stickers and boys and things worth worrying her pretty little head about.
I love the Runaways comics, but I’m not optimistic about this show.
Check out images of the actors below along with character descriptions via Marvel.
Rhenzy Feliz as Alex Wilder
Rhenzy Feliz (“Teen Wolf,” “Casual”) as Alex Wilder is a loud-and-proud nerd. Admittedly a bit of a loner, Alex spends much of his free-time playing video games, but deep down, what he wants most is to reunite his childhood group of friends.
Lyrica Okano as Nico Minoru
Lyrica Okano (“The Affair,” “Unforgettable”) Nico Minoru–tough, intelligent, and independent–embodies teenage angst. A budding “Wiccan,” Nico’s carefully crafted goth appearance isolates her from her peers and family, but maybe what she really needs is someone to talk to.
Virginia Gardner as Karolina Dean
Virginia Gardner (“Goat,” “Little Bitches”) as Karolina Dean, model-perfect exterior with a lot going on behind her professionally whitened smile, is burdened by the lofty expectations and responsibilities put upon her by her parents. Underneath her veneer of privilege and perfection, Karolina is experiencing a newfound eagerness to explore her identity and pursue her own desires.
Ariela Barer as Gert Yorkes
Ariela Barer (“New Girl,” “One Day at a Time”) as Gert Yorkes is a purple-haired, bespectacled, contemporary riot grrrl. Never passing up a moment to stand on a soapbox, Gert sometimes wields her persona as a brash social justice warrior to mask her true feelings.
Gregg Sulkin as Chase Stein
Gregg Sulkin (“Faking It,” “Don’t Hang Up,” “Anti Social”) as Chase Stein is a lacrosse-playing, high school heartthrob. While many write him off as a dumb jock, Chase exhibits flashes of untapped brilliance in engineering, not unlike his wildly successful father’s.
Allegra Acosta as Molly Hernandez
Allegra Acosta (“100 Things to do Before High School,” “Just Add Magic”) as Molly Hernandez, the youngest and most innocent member of her friend group, is known for her peppy positivity and a deep yearning to belong.