By David T. Valentin
Almost two years ago, Elliot Page came out as trans and introduced himself into the world and has received mostly praise and acceptance. Now, The Umbrella Academy is bringing some of Elliot’s experiences to life with Viktor Hargreeves.
Prior to coming out, Elliot Page played Vanya Hargreeves, one of seven super-powered humans based on the comic books of the same name by Gerard Way. While the producers immediately changed Elliot Page’s name to properly credit the actor without deadnaming them, it was unclear whether Page would continue playing Vanya.
Although Page was open to the idea of continuing to play Vanya as is, it seems the character will be reflecting Page’s own transition. In a sneak peek image of season three of The Umbrella Academy, set to be released June 22 of this year, Elliot Page introduced their new character Viktor Hargeeves.
Now, before everyone blows the horns and rallies the naysayers, Viktor’s transition makes sense to the character Vanya that we’ve seen in the past two seasons. Throughout the show, we’ve seen Viktor struggle to fit in as (at the time) a normal adult brought up around beloved superheroes. Turns out, Viktor himself has his own powers and he’s been taking medicine to suppress his powers.
In season two, Viktor gets tangled in an affair with Sissy, a gentle southern belle who brings Viktor in when he loses his memory after traveling through time. Throughout the season, the two come to learn more about each other and decide to choose each other, rather than Sissy’s husband Carl.
As many fans of the show have said, Viktor’s journey through the past three seasons can be read as a parallel to the real-life troubles Trans, and many LGBTQ+ children, go through as they try to navigate a world that tells them to be everything but themselves. After Viktor returns from the past to the present day in the second season, it’s very possible his experience with Sissy has led him to want to live as his true self after facing how fleeting life can really be.
It'll be interesting to explore Viktor’s story and to watch him progress, especially given that Vanya Hargreeves is a very different character in the comics (most of the characters are). Not only that, but it’s almost guaranteed Elliot Page has helped the director and writers of the show to bring to life a complex and interesting character that Trans Kids and people can relate to as they watch The Umbrella Academy, especially given the wide variety of personalities within the Hargreeves family.