Elliot Page is no longer Vanya but Viktor in The Umbrella Academy. Thanks to the constant insistence on the visibility and recognition of the existence of the LGBTTIQ+ community, more spaces have been created on the screen to make the whole community present in everyday life. This has been done in series such as POSE, Sex Education, etc.
Within the world of cinema, we have witnessed various interpretations of how transgender people go through this process; however, not all these interpretations have been totally accurate.
The series The Umbrella Academy took another approach. Despite being a superhero series, the character of Vanya (Elliot Page), which we met in the first season, has been built in these three installments little by little; in the second season, this character was involved in a relationship with another woman, which leads to the third season, Vanya, decided to become Viktor.
When Vanya decides to announce the news to her brothers, the series gave us one of the most endearing dialogues:
– Luther: “With the whole Viktor thing, I mean it’s kind of a big deal, isn’t it?”.
– Diego: “Yeah, I guess it is to him.”
– Luther: “Well, we should say something to him, you know, make it formal. Welcome him as a brother, don’t you think?”
– Diego: “God, no! Just go with the flow, don’t say anything, and don’t get weird.”
– Luther: “Ok… But not saying anything feels weird, I mean, shouldn’t we celebrate the occasion, maybe…?”
– Viktor: “Hey, what’s up?”
– Diego: “Luther wants to throw you a big stupid party so you feel loved, do you feel that way?”
– Victor: “Yes, of course”
– Diego: “Well, it’s like this… Can we go back to saving the world?”
Elliot Page’s transition from Vanya to Viktor in The Umbrella Academy
The audience has been divided as for some it was a “sudden” change in the gender transition of the character and, at the same time, in the life of the actor Elliot Page. However, for people from the LGBTQ+ community, it has actually been one of the best interpretations of what a transition should be.
This is mainly because the situation is handled in such a way that the focus is not precisely on how the transitioning character experiences it, but on the reaction that, if not all, most transgender people would want their loved ones to have.
The series directly addresses how, in this case, the family should react to a similar situation if at some point a member expresses any concerns about their sexuality and how they should not judge them.
Without reacting negatively or thinking it is a tragedy, and instead, keeping in mind that it is the same person they have shared their life with, who just like everyone else, needs understanding, patience, plus all the love and support that a family no matter what gender they identify with.
Story originally published in Spanish in Cultura Colectiva
