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The long wait for fans of The Umbrella Academy is finally over. Netflix released Season 3 of this hit series, which centers on a dysfunctional family of superheroes. The siblings reunite to solve the mystery of their father’s death (and, of course, stop an imminent apocalypse).
The comic book industry has been criticized over the years for whitewashing and lacking diversity. But lately, stories like Black Panther, Shang-Chi and Ms. Marvel have made it onto the big and small screens, garnering much praise from audiences. Those stories, along with The Umbrella Academy, serve as an important reminder that representation in storytelling matters.
Here are three things The Umbrella Academy can teach us as marketers about inclusive storytelling.
Reimagining characters while honoring the original story
While in the original comic book (written by Gerard Way and illustrated by Gabriel Bá’ in 2007) all of the siblings are white, that didn’t stop the creators of the Netflix series from being intentional in including a more diverse cast. They didn’t let the original comic book hold them back from featuring Black, Asian, Latino and LGTBQ+ actors in lead roles, and not relegating them to supporting players.
“The real world is inclusive and diverse, and this family is,” said Steve Blackman, showrunner of The Umbrella Academy told The Hollywood Reporter when the series premiered in 2019.
In Season 3, the show also introduced Fei Hargreeves, who is blind. Her superpower is the ability to manifest crows and use them as her eyes. The crows help her to see the world differently—her lack of eyesight is ultimately depicted as her biggest strength.
For marketers, this is an important reminder that you can honor sharing an original story while reimagining the characters through a much more inclusive lens.
Confronting racism head-on
The Umbrella Academy has been praised for its focus on diversity of representation. But some viewers have said the show failed to actually acknowledge race and ethnicity, and tackle racism.
This all changes in Season 3. We see Diego’s character embrace his Latino identity. There are small moments when he speaks in Spanish while fighting with Ben, who speaks in Korean. He speaks in Spanish with his “son,” who responds by saying he doesn’t understand, reminiscent of the dynamic between many first-generation parents and their second-generation children.
Finally, when Diego and Allison, who is Black, go to a bar filled with racists, the two bond for a moment over being the two non-white siblings in their family. They acknowledge the shared experience of being treated differently because of the color of their skin.
We watch Allison mourn the loss of both her husband and daughter. The show also gives us a window into her experience living in the South through the Jim Crow era. As a Black woman, she consistently experienced racism, sexism and bigotry. While the character becomes progressively more evil, we are reminded of how much loss and hate Allison experienced, perpetuating the cycle of violence.
As marketers, we have a responsibility to not tokenize characters based on their race and ethnicity, but rather to share how their race and ethnicity have shaped their lived experiences.
Depicting an authentic transition
Elliot Page has been part of The Umbrella Academy since the inception of the series as Vanya Hargreeves. When he came out as transgender and nonbinary in 2020, many wondered how the writers would handle his transition in the show.
The Umbrella Academy thoughtfully reflected Page’s lived experience. Near the beginning of Season 3, Page’s character arrives at a family meeting, announcing that he is now Viktor. His siblings immediately accept him, and then they move on to saving the world.
But it wasn’t a check-the-box moment in the story. Throughout this season, the details of Victor’s experience continue to matter. This includes conversations with his siblings about his transition, seeing himself in a short haircut for the first time and feeling comfortable enough in his own skin to dance freely.
The Umbrella Academy authentically shares the journey of this transition, honoring both Elliot Page and Viktor Hargreeves’ experiences. For marketers, it’s another important reminder to include the community whose experience we want to authentically represent from the start.
This show is a must-watch for marketers on lessons in inclusive storytelling and reminds us all that representation does matter.
