One of The Umbrella Academy‘s main stars has revealed why his take on Number Two is a world away from the depiction of the character in Gerard Way’s beloved comic books. In the Netflix show, David Castañeda portrays Diego Hargreeves/Number Two – who has been gifted with the power of throwing objects with incredible accuracy. While undoubtedly impressive, it’s a marked contrast from his role as The Kraken in the comics, a character renowned for his extraordinary powers of holding his breath underwater. Advertisement Speaking to Digital Spy, Castañeda explained that the change was prompted by showrunner Steve Blackman’s desire to keep the show rooted in reality. “[Showrunner Steve Blackman] wanted to ground the comic book even more,” he said. “So for example, Klaus doesn’t levitate in the show, whereas in the comic book he does. “And there’s something about seeing someone who has actually no real supernatural powers and only being able to throw things with precision that kind of makes people be like, ‘Oh, I can see that, I can put that person in real life and I can see it play out as a human being’.” He added: “You have Luther who has super strength, and you have Allison who can change the reality… and the fact that he can’t even be the one on top in the show, the resentment towards the father plays out even more because he is obviously placed at number two because he doesn’t have the powers one would say are divine.” Advertisement Meanwhile, NME celebrated the debut of the Umbrella Academy earlier this month with a special one off issue to mark the show’s debut. It features an exclusive interview with Gerard Way and you can find out all the details here.<doc-sep>Warning: Spoilers for 'The Umbrella Academy' below. In further superheroes of 2019 news, "The Umbrella Academy," the live-action adaptation of the graphic novels written by My Chemical Romance's Gerard Way and illustrated by Gerard Bá, premieres on Netflix today. The 10-episode series reunites adopted siblings, who also happen to be former teen superhero idols. After the death of their eccentric billionaire father, the now-adults reluctantly return to the mega-mansion of their youth to attend the funeral and save the world from an impending apocalypse. Considering that Way and Bá are also co-executive producers, the soundtrack is unsurprisingly fire — the dance montage to Tiffany's 1987 remake of "I Think We're Alone Now" and the, erm, killer sequence set to Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" were highlights — and the costumes just as stylized and mood-building. "It was a story that was really atemporal in a way," says Christopher Hargadon about the non-linear series mostly set in a vague sort of present day in which iPhones don't exist. The veteran costume designer — responsible for Mads Mikkelson's stellar tie game in "Hannibal" and Mulder and Scully's tailored suiting in "The X-Files" revival — created a muted, subtle and "non-specific" overall palette. The costumes are sprinkled with nods anywhere from the Victorian era to the '50s (lots of '50s) to highlight the individual characters and stories. Along with working with the original source material and showrunner Steve Blackman's vision, plus collaborating with the actors, Hargadon also enjoyed flexing his design creativity in bringing "The Umbrella Academy" from the page to the screen. Read on for his costume breakdown for each character, including Page's new take on Vanya and Mary J. Blige as time-traveling assassin, Cha Cha. Vanya (Ellen Page). Photo: Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix VANYA (ELLEN PAGE) Also known as Number Seven, Vanya spent her whole life thinking she wasn't "special" like her other super-powered siblings. "She was really a person who dressed to be invisible within the psychological context of the story," says Hargadon, who kept Vanya's palette muted with light blues, grays and black; in more emotionally heightened moments, the violinist might veer into an adventurous burgundy. "Ellen wanted to actually play an androgynous character," adds the costume designer, about Vanya's signature silhouettes of oversize sweaters, denim shirts, jeans and her reliable leather-sleeved zip-up coat. Page's vision for her character greatly differs from the white "body-painted" Vanya in the comics, so Hargadon took creative license to design a suitable look for her pinnacle transformation. "We came up with a tails kind of formal dress that would go from black into white as she performed," he explains. "I think she really liked the end result — especially the white one." Klaus (Robert Sheehan) and Number Five (Aiden Gallagher). Photo: Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix KLAUS (ROBERT SHEEHAN) While Klaus mostly wears black (and floats around in lotus position) in the comics, on-screen, he enjoys a more vibrant and colorful wardrobe. To express the complexities of the drug addict who can speak to dead people, Hargadon amassed an eclectic and retro-inspired mix of contemporary and vintage pieces, like '60s striped bell-bottoms, graphic Ts, crop tops and a shaggy patchwork '70s coat. "Because of the fluidity of the character, we ended up dressing him in about 60 percent women's clothes," adds Hargadon, some of which were scripted, like the handkerchief hem leather skirt Klaus "borrowed" out of his movie star sister's closet to pair with an Elizabethan-style blazer. ("Is that my skirt?" "It's a bit dated.") Klaus probably goes through the (relatively) biggest wardrobe evolution, and the fittings behind the scenes was just as fun. "We'd just throw clothes around and throw them together," says Hargadon, who likens the moments to a makeover montage at a vintage fair. "It was always kind of an explosion of clothes that ended up in some way looking and feeling right on him." Although, Klaus's custom-built lace-up leather jeans remain a through-line, both for storytelling and practicality's sake. "I had all kinds of trousers for him, but those ones seemed to go with everything," says Hargadon. (L-R) Number Five (Aidan Gallagher), Vanya (Ellen Page), Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman), Klaus (Robert Sheehan), Luther (Tom Hopper) and Diego (David Castañeda). Photo: Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix ALISON (EMMY RAVER-LAMPMAN) To dress the famous Hollywood actress, Hargadon found his baseline inspiration from '50s screen sirens, as most evidenced when we first see Allison at a red carpet premiere (paparazzi: "Allison will you wear Valentino to the funeral?") and during the "La La Land"-esque dance sequence with a non-altered Luther. "We had to dress her like a movie star, but most of the scenes were actually the interior of the house in common everyday situations," says Hargadon. So he translated the glamorous vibe into Allison's elevated off-duty pieces, like high-waisted, wide-leg trousers and a selection of sleek moto-jackets, which allowed for major ass-kicking — when she wasn't using her power of suggestion. Hargadon also carried the palette of reds and blues from the comic book character's supersuit and shock of periwinkle hair. Appropriate for a red carpet star, "[Allison's wardrobe] was definitely on the more expensive end of the costuming for the characters," he adds. (L-R)Allison ( (Emmy Raver-Lampman), Luther (Tom Hopper) and Diego (David Casteñeda). Photo: Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix LUTHER (TOM HOPPER) "Now that was a real process," laughs Harbadon about (obviously) custom-designing and building wardrobe for the top-heavy Number One, who's enhanced with super-human strength — and some low-key dance skills. "Luther came from a more grounded, earthy sort of world, so my goal for him was to dress him in earth tones, greens, grays that kept him very distinct," says Hargadon, about the military tones and tweedy layers that transitioned Luther out of his spacesuit from his stint on the moon. The costume designer took extra care to accommodate for the massive prosthetics worn by Hopper and the stunt-work involved. "Tom was hot in that thing," laughs Hargadon. "But we were also shooting in cold weather, so it was actually like a parka underneath his clothes." DIEGO (DAVID CASTEÑEDA) While Klaus and Allison enjoy a more varied wardrobe, vigilante Diego pretty much wears variations of one outfit through the entire series. "He tried to remain in the shadows," says Hargadon. But, staying true to the comics, Hargadon custom-designed much of the character's signature off-brand superhero look. To translate the iconic striped shirt from the illustrations, the costume designer airbrushed the linear pattern onto a custom-knit sweater, which was then aged and distressed. Hargadon also custom-built two harness "rigs" — not because it's a menswear red carpet trend in 2019 (Allison would so approve), but — to effectively carry Diego's assortment of butterfly knives and deadly weaponry. Number Five (Aiden Gallagher) NUMBER FIVE (AIDEN GALLAGHER) AND THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY UNIFORMS Number Five, essentially a 50-something time-traveling assassin, returns to the present stuck in his younger Umbrella Academy uniform-wearing body. "We did a lot of experimenting at the beginning," says Hargadon, about finding the right formula to make the prep school uniform pop on screen — and out from the ominous mood lighting. After many camera tests, Hargadon adjusted the black shorts-suit from the comics to a richer blue gray wool and added the burgundy trim which then influenced the color palette for argyle vests. "He basically never changes, so we had about 15 of these suits," says Hargadon. "He wore one after the other if one got ripped or damaged." Cha Cha (Mary J. Blige). Photo: Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix CHA CHA (MARY J. BLIGE) Cha Cha and her partner Hazel (Cameron Britton) also wear their uniforms to reflect the corporate middle management dedication to their jobs as deadly time-jumping assassins. Hence tailored pantsuits, but in a subtle pinstriped navy blue instead of black, again, to pop on-screen. To differentiate Cha Cha — "a tough-minded murderer basically" — from the (relatively) "softer" Hazel, Hargadon added an "armored up" flair to her three-piece suiting adorned with steampunk-esque metal closures in place of blah buttons. He also obviously had to pay homage to the Oscar-nominated Queen of Hip-Hop Soul herself. "Often when you do see Mary J. in a very, very different context — a concert and other situations — she does wear bustiers," says Hargadon, who then decided to give her buttoned up layer a sexier, dangerous edge with the corseted approach. "It's also a bit like armor." Sir Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore) and Grace (Jordan Claire Robbins). Photo: Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix GRACE (JORDAN CLAIRE ROBBINS) Not that Hargadon plays favorites, but designing for Grace — the Hargreeves-invented robot programmed with maternal instinct, surgical training and talents for making smiley face pancakes for Diego — was a highlight. "I've never dressed a '50s-style robot before," he laughs. Hargadon referenced the "perfect" '50s housewife figures of the era, such as "Leave It to Beaver" and "Ozzie and Harriet." Grace, whom the kids call Mom, is first introduced in a soft, pastel watercolor A-line style dress with lace-trim. Hardagon designed the dress with foam-lining to create the "crisp" and almost "otherworldly" structure. "I loved it because this perfectly circular shadow would follow underneath her as she walked," he says. For Grace's inaugural stroll outside of the grounds of the Hargreeves estate, Hargadon custom-designed for a Grace Kelly-style moment, with references to the Dior New Look silhouette. "It had this military quality to it as well, because she is taking a new place in the life of the context of the house," he says. "She was a lot of fun." Top photo: Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix Never miss the latest fashion industry news. Sign up for the Fashionista daily newsletter.<doc-sep>
David Castaneda plays Number Two in The Umbrella Academy (Picture: Netflix) The Umbrella Academy’s Diego Hargreeves, or Number Two, is not the warmest of characters but star Diego Castaneda believes that all the blamne should really be placed on Reginald. And we’d have to agree. ‘It’s so interesting because when I have these interviews, [people are] like “Yo, your character was such a dick. You’re so mean.” But when we were shooting it, I was so cemented in who Diego is and where he comes from that it never felt like that with me,’ he said. ‘Obviously, when you come from a sense of not being enough, which is what Reginald did to Diego, that’s gonna build, that resentment. But it never comes from a place of spitefulness. ‘It comes from a place of just wanting to be loved.’ ‘It comes from a place of just wanting to be loved.’ (Picture: Netflix) Diego is a vigilante, and would rather ignore police procedure and take the law into his own hands. His actions saw him meet and fall in love with Eudora Patch but they also led to her death, and he told SYFY FANGRRLS that her unexpected death gave him the ‘utmost respect’ for the Netflix series’ show runners. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video ‘I have the utmost respect for shows that are willing to just kick away any character early in the season because then you’re like, “I don’t even know where this is going now,” because there’s this person who you felt would have a full season arc and suddenly [they] die,’ he said. ‘It leaves everyone vulnerable.’ The Umbrella Academy is shaping up to be one of the Netflix hits of 2019 (Picture: Netflix) The Umbrella Academy is shaping up to be one of the Netflix hits of 2019, after the first series debuted to a brace of good reviews and fan excitement. Based on a comic book series which originally debuted in 2007, written by Gerard Way, the show follows the adventures of seven children bred to save the world from an unknown threat, with a cast that features the likes of Ellen Page, Mary J Blige, Robert Sheehan and Tom Hopper. The Umbrella Academy season one is available now to stream on Netflix UK.