MARVEL'S RUNAWAYS | Season One is here and it's compelling!
Based on the cult classic comic series of the same name, Marvel’s latest TV venture captures the origin story of a young superhero team.
What would you do if you found out your parents were supervillains?
Set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ‘Marvel’s Runaways’ follows a group of teenagers as they discover that their parents are part of an evil cult-like organisation known as ‘The Pride’. After stumbling across a sacrificial ceremony, the former friends must learn to overcome their differences and work together as a team to take their parents down.
An eclectic group of teenagers, the Runaways are made up of diverse cultures and voices. There’s loud-and-proud nerd Alex (Rhenzy Feliz), Wiccan goth Nico (Lyrica Okano), church-girl Karolina (Virginia Gardner), riot grrrl Gert (Ariela Barer), heartthrob jock Chase (Gregg Sulkin), and young Molly (Allegra Acosta). But, of course, there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to the six.
The show takes a slow-burn approach to adapting its source material but, in this case, it works. It purposely, and smartly, stalls the action to thoroughly delve into the Runaways’ different backstories and abilities. Similarly, the show gives its supervillain parents some development and fleshes out their motivation before unveiling their grand plan. It’s a testament to the show’s team, and a clever move on their behalf, because they’ve developed a cast of characters that viewers are able to sympathise with and actually want to root for, regardless of their moral alignment.
Like any good superhero property, ‘Marvel’s Runaways’ boasts a stellar cast who all successfully bring their comic counterparts to life on-screen. The young teenagers might be the face of the show but it’s their parents’ evil schemes that really drive the drama. Some great names who are no strangers to the sci-fi genre fill the adult line-up, including James Marsters and Julian McMahon (of ‘Buffy’ and ‘Charmed’ fame, respectively). The show, and many of its storylines, hinges on the cast’s abilities and the chemistry they have is one of the best parts of the show.
This is Marvel Television’s first foray into young superheroes and it’s only fitting that they’ve recruited Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, the team behind popular teen dramas ‘The O.C.’ and ‘Gossip Girl’. Their production company, Fake Empire Productions, specialises in youth-leaning projects and while ‘Runaways’ isn’t as soapy as their previous work, it’s just as addictive and leaves you hungry for more (and, thankfully, a second season has already been greenlit).
Developed for streaming service Hulu, ‘Marvel’s Runaways’ has a higher production value than its network counterparts and comic book fans will be glad to hear that Old Lace has been adapted well. The show’s cinematography also paints a contemporary and dreamy picture of California and it’s the perfect backdrop for the show’s hue and coming-of-age story.
Fun and fresh, ‘Marvel’s Runaways’ finds its footing in an over-saturated genre and carefully plots out a captivating and peculiar origin story across the first season’s ten episodes.
‘Marvel’s Runaways’ might be billed as a coming-of-age-superhero-story, but you don’t have to be a comic book nerd or adolescent to join in on the fun.
Exclusive to Foxtel Australia, ‘Marvel’s Runaways’ airs Tuesdays on Fox8.
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