LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) — When Brian K. Vaughan was approached by Marvel Comics to write a comic book to bring in new readers, he hit on the idea of “Runaways” about a diverse group of teenage family friends whose bond grows stronger when they make a gruesome discovery.
Launched in 2003, the comic book soon became a fan favorite and now streaming service Hulu has turned the series into a television show, under the tutelage of Vaughan and showrunners Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage.
“He (Vaughan) did so many things so well, starting with the idea, this premise that every teenager thinks their parents are evil – what if your parents actually were?” said Schwartz at the premiere. “It’s just such a universal concept whether your parents won’t let you drive the car or you caught them sacrificing a human in the basement. I think that’s what really transcends about what he’s done.”
The story follows six teenagers who discover their parents are not only sacrificing people to a mysterious cult but are also key members of The Pride, an organization that runs the dark criminal underbelly of Los Angeles.
After running away, the teenagers investigate their parents from afar and soon discover that they too have their parents’ abilities which have made them so influential in society.
The six central characters are some of the most diverse characters in the Marvel universe. Gert (Ariela Barer) is a plump, bookish feminist with a pet dinosaur; Molly (Allegra Acosta) is a naive but feisty superstrong fighter; Nico (Lyrica Okano) is a burgeoning sorceress; Karolina (Virginia Gardner) is a lesbian flying alien, while dumb jock Chase (Gregg Sulkin) and supersmart nerd Alex (Rhenzy Feliz) rely on inventions from their parents. Together, they use their gifts and abilities to try and bring an end to their parents’ nefarious ways.
Virginia Gardner, who plays Karolina Dean, said “I think first of all having a cast of six really diverse superheroes is already going to help people immensely and let alone having a gay character on top of that is just a bonus on top of it, so I think in 2016 or 2017 in this political climate to have a group of superheroes like this is awesome and really important.”
Comic book writer Jeff Loeb also acts as executive producer on the Hulu show and explained that fans of the comic book won’t be disappointed in the series, saying “If all we’re going to do is take the comic book and blow it up and put it on TV, then it’s not fair to the original artform and it’s not really fair to the audience, because as you said, I know who the mole is, and I know who this is and I know who this is. There’s ways to tell that story that have some twists and turns but as long as you maintain the spirit of what it is that you’re (inaudible). I think people will really be surprised by a number of things, not least this extraordinary cast.”
‘Runaways’ will begin on Hulu on November 21.
