The Umbrella Academy creator is in turmoil

As the final season of the hit series arrives this summer, an event could mar its return.

Even before it arrives on Netflix, things are going badly on the Netflix side. The Umbrella Academy. We’re not talking here about the temporal fractures leading to the chaos that reigns in the series, but about the incohesion that seems to hover over the film sets.

A few days ago, Rolling Stone published a complete file bringing together the various testimonies and accusations against Steve Blackmanone of the showrunners of the series. The latter is accused by twelve members of staff, writers and employees in the production, who have remained anonymous, of having in their workplace behavior “toxic, intimidating, manipulative, and retaliatory.” Charges that the person concerned has since denied outright.

The facts date back to the filming of season 2, in 2019 and would continue until this fourth and final season. In 2023, a complaint was filed with human resources and the investigation conducted by Universal Content Productions (UCP), producer of the series, having yielded nothing, Steve Blackman had been released from all suspicion. But for the employees who made the complaint, the investigation was not conducted in depth and some therefore exposed the facts to the American media.

According to them, the showrunner of The Umbrella Academy allegedly took credit for the work of others, pitted staff against each other, and created a work environment that inspired distrust and fear.

One of the examples cited by Rolling Stone is the dismissal of a team of female writers. One of them was pregnant when she was hired and took maternity leave after the start of her twenty-week contract. When she returned a month before the end of her employment, while all the other writers had their contracts extended, hers and that of one of her colleagues had ended. One employee testified:

“He (editor’s note: Steve Blackman) told me that they fired them because one of them was pregnant and she didn’t tell him.”

In response to this accusation, a spokesman for Blackman gave his version of events to Rolling Stoneexplaining that the contracts were not renewed for budgetary and performance reasons – they were looking for more experienced screenwriters.

This is not an isolated case. The article reports several protests over unfair dismissals in questionable circumstances. In an email used as evidence in the complaint filed with human resources, a fired assistant wrote:

“Working with him was a waking nightmare. Between being hurt and angry, I mostly feel relieved to be away from him.”

In addition, several testimonies have reported obscene, sexist, homophobic and transphobic remarks. One of the cases listed is a message sent by Steve Blackman about Elliot Page: “Elliot Page wants to come out as trans on the show. As Ivan. Holy shit. Finish me off.”

The actor played Vanya in the first season, and has been playing Viktor since season 3 following his public coming out as trans in 2021. When this transition was made in the series, Page was the first person to speak positively about Blackman’s desire to include this narrative arc. The showrunner had even said “proud” of what he had accomplished.

Umbrella Academy: “We are very proud” of Viktor’s transition in season 3

Thus, his representative denies the previous message: “Eliott (Page) never asked for this to be included in the series – that was Mr Blackman’s decision. He consulted experts and he stands by that.”

He added that these accusations were unfounded and “completely absurd“, stating:

“These allegations from a handful of disgruntled employees are completely false and outrageous, and in no way reflect the collaborative, respectful and happy work environment that Mr. Blackman cultivated.”

In this final season, whose trailer was released a little over a month ago, the Hargreeves family, made up of completely crazy superheroes, returns to service in a final rescue mission. While season 3 ended with the loss of their power, how will they hope to live a normal life? With them, the apocalypse is never far away…

The fourth season of The Umbrella Academy will be released on Netflix on August 8.

“It’s the final timeline”: The Umbrella Academy is back for one last mission (trailer)