Home Entertainment Television NYCC '19: Runaways Season 3 panel brings the love to Madison Square...
by Aaron Halls
NYCC '19: Runaways Season 3 panel brings the love to Madison Square Garden
Plus, Brian K Vaughan made a special appearance
Aaron Halls
October may put spooky season into full effect, but at the Runaways Season 3 panel the cast, crew, and fans might have had you thinking it was the season of love. The Friday evening event took place at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden where fans assembled to get a special look at their favorite teen heroes' next adventures. One fan could be seen with a replica of protagonist Nico Minouru's Staff of One; whether brought to show fandom or ward off evil it's certainly an impressive representation of the audiences' passion for the Hulu Original.
The panel was moderated by Marvel Television Executive Vice President Jeph Loeb and featured the Hulu series' stars Rhenzy Feliz (Alex Wilder), Gregg Sulkin (Chase Stein), Virginia Gardner (Karolina Dean), Allegra Acosta (Molly Hernandez), Ariela Barer (Gert Yorkes), Lyrica Okano (Nico Minoru); the show's creators Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz were also on hand to tease out information.
This season will feature the evil sorceress Morgan Le Fay, a formidable foe who made their debut Marvel appearance in 1955. Morgan will be played by actress Elizabeth Hurley, who previously acted in another Savage and Schwartz project: Gossip Girl. Though Hurley wasn't able to attend the panel herself, a funny video was shown where the actress tires to introduce herself and her character only to be edited out moments later in profanity styled bleeps; this got a lot of chuckles from the audience.
Also getting a lot of audible reactions from the audience was an exercise performed by the cast and crew where they individually took a turn, turning to their left and telling why they loved their show mate. "In the space of three years and thirty-three episodes, this disparate group of people who didn't really know each other beforehand have formed a family and a way of working with each other that I rarely see on a television series," Loeb said. This was certainly evident as each took the time to sincerely describe their appreciation for their show mate.
"Lyrica. My girl. I love you so much," Barer said to Okano. "You're like one of my best friends in real life, on set. We work together every day for three years, and I still look forward to seeing you on our off days because you're just a really great person. I have never seen such sheer passion in a person, and how it manifests in every part of your life is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I love you."
Soon afterward Schwartz then turned to Loeb. He said his favorite thing about the man was when he let the crowd see the first episode of Season 3.
Spoilers for Season 2 and light spoilers for the Season 3 premiere follow:
The audience was then treated to the premiere of the upcoming season which picks up right after the Season 2 finale. Janet, Karolina, and Chase have all been captured by the body snatchin' Magistrate and his family; Dale has captured Gert and Old Lace to keep them safe; meanwhile, Alex, Nico, Molly, Leslie, and Xavin must construct a plan to save their friends. Morgan Le Fe's appearances were brief, but they preview an intriguing set up for the character's interactions with Nico. One thing is for sure – with these two characters more magic will definitely be appearing this year.
The story had all the hallmarks of a great Runaways comic – high drama, heart, and humor. The crowd was really invested in the events transpiring on screen; at one point audible sobs could be heard from somewhere in the crowd. As a show, Runaways has really done a fantastic job adapting Brian K. Vaughan's and Adrian Alphona's story and characters, while also being its own thing.
Afterwards the cast and crew engaged in a Q&A with the audience, and in one incredibly sweet moment, Vaughan himself showed up to express gratitude to the creatives. "I just wanted to show up to say thank you so much," Vaughan said. "I can't tell you know cool it was to watch this episode with a bunch of fans; it was unbelievable. If I could just thank Josh and Stephanie. You guys have just done an incredible job, and this is the very best cast on television right now. I lamp you all very much."
And what about this season's special guest stars Cloak (Aubrey Joseph) and Dagger (Olivia Holt)? Sulkin said working with Joseph and Holt was lovely, and filming the episode was special because comic fans had been looking forward to the two teams crossing paths.
"The show is for you guys anyway, but this was very special," Sulkin said. "We hope that you guys really enjoy it. We all worked very hard on it. We had extra energy on this episode because we felt like you guys were with us even though you physically weren't."
Throughout the Runaways panel we were teased body snatching fun, and magic. Though the details surrounding the new villain and guest stars remain hidden in the dark – the info presented tease a bright and exciting season that's sure to excited both fans of the show and original comics.
You can watch Runaways Season 3 when it premieres December 13 on Hulu.
allegra acosta
josh schwartz
lyrica okano
NYCC '19
rhenzy feliz
stephanie savage
virginia gardner
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Aaron is an arts journalist who loves to write about superhero media as well as film and television. He's been collecting comics since he was nine and is from Lisbon Falls, Maine. Though he hasn't started the game yet he's pretty sure he'll cry once he begins Kingdom Hearts III.
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