How Hulu's Runaways Compares To Other Marvel Superhero TV Shows
For the past four years, Marvel has cemented as big a presence on TV as it's made in the film world, and there's no end in sight to the number of new and exciting projects on the way. Hulu's upcoming comic book drama Runaways will be the streaming service's first Marvel project -- read our review -- and when star Angel Parker spoke with CinemaBlend about the first season, I asked her how she thought Runaways compared to other shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Daredevil. Here's what she told me:
Preach. Iron Fist and The Defenders brought dragons into the story, while Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. gave new life to Ghost Rider. Runaways does not skimp on those kinds of fantastical Marvel moments in the least, and yes, some of those moments involve a dinosaur who goes by the name of Old Lace. So when it comes to laying out the wild and the wonderful ideas of Marvel creators, Runaways does indeed share some imagination DNA with the comic giant's other current TV shows.
Angel Parker, who plays the effortlessly composed Catherine Wilder, was also spot-on in pointing out Runaways' teen vibe is about as big of a contrasting factor as it gets when this show is stacked up against the other Marvel dramas. I mean, the fact that the central cast has six teenagers in it might have been a sign, sure. But because this is from Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, this isn't the kind of teen-oriented programming that would be book-ended with Saved by the Bell or Girl Meets World. There might be a high school involved, but the storyline is anything but childish, since all the teens' parents are suspected of killing other teenagers as part of their evil super-group known as The Pride.
Season 1 of Runaways will largely tell the story of the teenagers discovering and investigating their parents' mysterious history, and what it has to do with their deadly practices. Like the Netflix shows (especially the upcoming Punisher series), Runaways largely sticks to developing as grounded and realistic a foundation as possible; or as grounded as brooding, atmospheric Schwartz/Savage shows get, at least. That way, once the crazier shit starts happening, it all feels even more magical and effective.
During my chat with Angel Parker, she said that it's the "normal-to-amazing" aspect that she loves the most about the Marvel Universe.
And just in case anyone didn't know already, Runaways' "main character" is Rhenzy Feliz's Alex Wilder, son to Angel Parker's Catherine, and neither Alex nor his parents actually have any of the powers and abilities that most of the other characters do. So in both Alex and Catherine's cases, they really are ordinary people facing unbelievable circumstances.
Stay tuned for a lot more Runaways coverage here at CinemaBlend as we get closer to the Hulu release date on Tuesday, November 21, when the first three episodes of Season 1 will be released all at once. If you're in need of more comic book TV shows to look forward to, we have you covered. And if you're looking for shows that aren't of the comic book variety, our fall TV premiere schedule should do the trick.
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Nick is a Cajun Country native and an Assistant Managing Editor with a focus on TV and features. His humble origin story with CinemaBlend began all the way back in the pre-streaming era, circa 2009, as a freelancing DVD reviewer and TV recapper. Nick leapfrogged over to the small screen to cover more and more television news and interviews, eventually taking over the section for the current era and covering topics like Yellowstone, The Walking Dead and horror. Born in Louisiana and currently living in Texas — Who Dat Nation over America’s Team all day, all night — Nick spent several years in the hospitality industry, and also worked as a 911 operator. If you ever happened to hear his music or read his comics/short stories, you have his sympathy.
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