'This is going to bomb': One of The Umbrella Academy's main stars thought the hit Netflix show would flop, and it would be Marvel's fault

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Exclusive: 'When I saw it, I thought 'What did we do?''

Seven of the eight Hargreeves children react differently to their photograph being taken in The Umbrella Academy season 4
One of The Umbrella Academy's main stars thought the popular Netflix show was going to a complete dud (Image credit: Netflix)

One of The Umbrella Academy's primary stars thought the popular show was "going to bomb" ahead of its Netflix debut – and it was all down to Marvel.

Speaking to TechRadar at The Umbrella Academy season 4's virtual junket, David Castañeda, who plays Diego Hargreeves, surprisingly revealed that he expected the series to be a complete failure. The reason? The first season of the fan-favorite Netflix superhero series was set to air in February 2019, just two months before Avengers: Endgame – the second-highest grossing film of all time – landed in theaters.

At the time, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) could do no wrong. Indeed, the cinematic juggernaut was the world's most popular and profitable franchise between 2008 and 2019, with fans unable to get enough of The Avengers and their fellow heroes. Given the unparalleled success that the MCU was enjoying, Castañeda believed that every other upcoming superhero movie or TV show was doomed to be compared to the MCU. Castañeda was convinced, then, that The Umbrella Academy was nailed-on to flop upon release.

Allison, Diego, and Klaus Hargreeves track an unknown individual in The Umbrella Academy season 3

David Castañeda (center) wasn't convinced that The Umbrella Academy would be a success (Image credit: Netflix)

"I didn't know how special it [The Umbrella Academy] was going to be," Castañeda said when I asked the cast how they were reflecting on the show's success ahead of its fourth and final season. "When they gave us the first four episodes of season one, I saw it and I was like 'What did we do? This is going to bomb! This is not good.'"

A taken-aback Justin H. Min, who plays Ben Hargreeves, interjected to ask Castañeda why he thought that, to which his fellow star replied: "It was in the craze of the superhero genre, so I was comparing it to Avengers: Infinity War, Iron Man, and Captain America. I thought 'this is not a superhero show, it's a soap opera'. But it's because of that subtle difference – it's a story about a dysfunctional, messy family who just happen to have superpowers – that people connected to it. And yeah, it ended up changing my life."

'It's incredibly sad to say farewell to these characters'

The Hargreeves family gather around for an alcoholic shot in The Umbrella Academy season 4 on Netflix

We'll be pouring one out for The Umbrella Academy very soon (Image credit: Netflix)

Contrary to Castañeda's beliefs, The Umbrella Academy season 1 was an overnight sensation. Indeed, not only did it become one of the best Netflix shows around but, at the time, it was also one of the biggest TV Original hits for one of the best streaming services, with 45 million people tuning in to watch at least one of season 1's episodes – a figure that made it the third most-watched series on Netflix in 2019.

"When season 1 came out, there hadn't been that many Netflix hits," Min said. "There weren't that many streaming services around, either, so it really felt like we went from being nothing to a smash hit in 190 countries with millions of viewers watching every single day. For a lot of us, it was our first big job, so it was surprising but also overwhelming. After season 1 launched, I remember going outside and immediately being recognized. It was surreal seeing your life change overnight."

Echoing Min's comments, fellow stars Ritu Arya and Aidan Gallagher, who play Lila and Five, also acknowledged the unwavering support from the 'Brellies' – the affectionate name given to The Umbrella Academy's devote fanbase – throughout its five-year run.

"Not to be overly simplistic, but it really makes you grateful for such a rare and amazing experience," Gallagher mused. "It's been a real beautiful thing."

"It's crazy that we've been speaking to our fans for over five years, too," Arya added. "We're coming to the end of the show now and it feels very bittersweet. It feels gratifying to get to talk about it and say goodbye to everyone and reflect on all of these memories, but it's also incredibly sad to say farewell to these characters and those who have supported us."

I'll have more exclusive coverage concerning The Umbrella Academy season 4 in and around the final season's launch on August 8, so stay tuned to TechRadar for more soon.

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Tom Power
Senior Entertainment Reporter

As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as this Moon Knight TV spot.

Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across. Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.