At this year’s New York Comic Con, Justin Cook chatted with the cast of Marvel’s Runaways. Check out their conversation below…
Later this month, Hulu will debut its first effort in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel’s Runaways. The show brings to life Brian K. Vaughan’s beloved comic book series of the same name, with its young cast of stars on the rise, including Rhenzy Feliz (Alex Wilder), Lyrica Okano (Nico Minoru), Virginia Gardner (Karolina Dean), Ariela Barer (Gert Yorkes), Gregg Sulkin (Chase Stein) and Allegra Acosta (Molly Hernandez). Flickering Myth asked about everything from interactions with the fellow cast members to on-screen diversity when catching up at New York Comic Con and learned a thing or two about the upcoming show.
What was the cast dynamic like on set? I know the Runaways are kind of like a dysfunctional family in the comics, but how did you guys as a cast interact?
Allegra Acosta: It’s so funny. When I first met these guys, I didn’t think they were gonna talk to me because I’m 14, so [I was afraid] they might think ‘Oh, she’s an immature little baby, let’s not talk to her’ (laughs). That’s what, initially I thought was going to happen. When I met these guys, it was uncanny how fast we all got along, how they treated me just as the same age as them and how we just enjoyed each other’s company. We are a bit of a dysfunctional family, but we just enjoy [keeping each other’s] companies. We enjoyed ourselves. Throughout the season, we were like ‘Oh, you’re really kind of like your character!” We found out how much we love each other, and we chill all the time. So it’s cool to have a cast that you really love and you always want to be with.
SEE ALSO: Marvel’s Runaways Season 1 Review: The O.C. meets the MCU in this satisfying teen drama
Ariela Barer: They’ve become, really, [some] of my best friends. I had a week off recently, which was crazy, and the whole time I was like ‘Oh, I cannot go this long without seeing them anymore. This is… this is bad’ (laughs). It’s a co-dependency at this point. Your life gets involved in all of this.
What is it like being a part of this not only diverse but also female-led cast?
Lyrica Okano: It’s much-needed. I think this show is coming at a very good time. It brings me joy thinking that young girls, young boys can watch this show and see powerful teenagers going through the same stuff that they’re going through and having these superpowers and learning to trust each other, work together and achieve a goal. I think that’s super awesome.
Virginia Gardner: It’s exactly what we need right now. Like she said, it’s coming at a really great time and I think to be on a show with a female cast hopefully will inspire younger generations. And also to be with such a diverse group and representing groups who need the representation right now I think is really amazing too. A lot of the show is about young people questioning authority and figuring out who’s good, who’s bad, standing up for what they believe in and uniting, and I think that’s the message we need right now more than anything.
Rhenzy, as an actor, how was that shift from smaller, recurring roles on Casual and Teen Wolf to starring in a major Marvel TV show?
Rhenzy Feliz: I was ready. I was ready to go. I was just waiting for the moment (laughs). No, I think it’s energy-wise — that’s the hardest part of the transition. I’m used to going in once a week for 10 hours, 12 hours, 16 hours a day and getting the rest of the week to myself. When we did the pilot, we shot it for three weeks in February. I was exhausted. I couldn’t believe it. We’d work 12, 14, 15 hours a day sometimes, every day. So I was like, Jesus Christ, if the season goes how am I gonna do it? I did three weeks, how am I gonna do three months? Somehow, someway you pull it out of you. And we’re not moving buildings here. I get up, I play pretend, but it’s the energy. I found that was the most difficult part, but as long as you get your sleep, as long as long as you memorize the night before, it’s as easy as going in for a recurring. But I find it feels good to know that you’re coming in and that you’re having a big impact on the show. Whatever you do that day is gonna be the show. It’s a good feeling.
Other highlights of the roundtable interview included Jeph Loeb sharing how the cast was “terrified” to come out on stage during the show’s panel at NYCC (he reassured them by saying “you’re going to a Beatles concert and you’re the Beatles”), co-showrunner Josh Schwartz revealing that the parents play an equally important role as the kids in the series and Gregg Sulkin calling the show “Gossip Girl and The O.C. in [the] Marvel universe.”
Every teenager thinks their parents are evil. What if you found out they actually were? Marvel’s Runaways is the story of six diverse teenagers who can barely stand each other but who must unite against a common foe – their parents.
The first three episodes of Marvel’s Runaways 10-episode first season of the show hit Hulu on November 21st, so mark your calendars!
Justin Cook
Originally published November 1, 2017. Updated April 18, 2018.
