Hulu / Marvel
Hulu’s adaption of the comic Runaways that premiered November 2017 was a smash-hit with old and new fans alike and easily got a greenlight for a 2nd season. While no information has been forthcoming about the next installment of the series, thanks to the original comics we have some idea of what to expect for the second.
1. The Hostel/The Tarpits
Since the first season ended with the main characters only finally having run away, their next plans and base of operations have yet to be revealed. In the first two volumes of the comic, the Runaways had two main hideouts: The Hostel, an old hotel partially buried and destroyed by earthquakes, and a lair of the Pride hidden under the La Brea tarpits.
As the Pride has much less of a comic supervillain vibe going on in the TV show, a hiding place under a major natural landmark is probably out of the question. But someplace like the Hostel or even a more mundane spot near the Tar Pits shouldn’t be entirely out of the question.
2. Cloak and Dagger crossover
Cloak and Dagger, the original runaway teens turned vigilante crime-fighters, have had multiple run-ins with the Runaways in the comics.
As the duo are getting a show of their own it’s not out of the question that a crossover could happen on-screen (hopefully Freeform and Hulu will be able to work things out better than Fox Studios and Disney).
3. Victor Mancha
Aside from a brief encounter with a teenage vampire that is almost certainly ‘too comic book’ to translate to Hulu’s adaption, the first new member of the team was Victor Mancha.
Victor is the android ‘son’ of the fearsome robot Ultron, who created him to act as a sleeper agent until he could rise to the top of the Avenger’s ranks as an adult superhero before destroying them from within. With the Runaways help, Victor managed to learn of his intended fate and break free of Ultron’s programming, though he lost his mother in the process. While it’s highly unlikely that any sign of Ultron will appear, Victor’s backstory could easily be altered to fit within the confines of the show; perhaps as a creation or altered human being of Victor Stein or Jonah.
4. Xavin
Xavin is probably one of the most anticipated comic characters that could potentially make an appearance. A shapeshifting, genderfluid Skrull (one of Marvel’s classic alien races and frequent antagonists) they have the abilities and training of an elite ‘Super-Skrull’ warrior that gives them the powers of the Fantastic Four. Betrothed to Karolina as a child, Xavin gets off to a rocky start with the Runaways but soon becomes a valued team member and Karolina’s primary love interest.
Since Hulu doesn’t have the right to the Skrulls and their version of Karolina isn’t even an alien (and also happily involved with Nico) Xavin’s origins would have to be drastically altered. It’s still entirely possible for them to appear in some form, whether it’s as a non-alien shapeshifter or even just an ordinary genderfluid teen.
5. The Gibborim/Majesdanians
Perhaps the biggest changes Hulu’s adaption of the source material involves the Dean’s backstory and the main power behind the Pride’s actions. In the comics Frank and Leslie Dean are both aliens called ‘Majesdanians’ who fled their criminal past to pose as human movie stars on Earth. Karolina is a Majesdanian as well, with some of her initial character developments and struggles with self-acceptance coming from the fact that she’s not even human.
The comic’s Pride was formed when the Runaways parents were summoned by ancient biblical beings called the Gibborim. The Gibborim wanted to purge the planet of human life and re-create a pre-human Eden and offered the criminals a chance at their side along with worldly wealth and power if they provided a human sacrifice each year until they had enough power. After the Steins realized they were expecting a child the Pride made a pact to each have their own and sacrifice their own places in paradise for their children.
While not explicitly stated it appears that the roles and abilities of the Majesdanians and Gibborim have been merged into one. The mysterious Jonah displayed abilities and motivations of both Majesdanes and Gibborim in season one but his true identity has yet to be explained. We can expect to find out more about him next season and perhaps find out the extent of his connection to the original comics.
The 2nd season is expected to premiere late 2018 and will have 13 episodes. The series was created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage and stars Rhenzy Felix, Virginia Gardener, Lyrica Okana, Greg Sulkin, Annie Wersching, and Julian McMahon.
