If teenage you walked in on your parents and their friends decked out in red robes as they performed a human sacrifice ritual of a naked young woman in a secret room, you’d probably feel inclined to get the hell out of Dodge. That’s the scenario with which the protagonists are faced in our first look at Runaways, Hulu’s new original series based on a Marvel comic book about a group of teenagers who discover their parents are supervillains.
The series features young Latina actresses Allegra Acosta and Ariela Barer as Molly Hernandez and Gert Yorkes, respectively. After the discovery of their parents’ evil nature, we get to see a brief look at the turmoil that ensues in their lives and their early experiences with their powers. The teaser does little more than tease, but it’s enough to introduce us to the story and set the dramatic tone for the show.
Of course, the highlight of the trailer is a brief look at Old Lace (and her nose ring), a genetically engineered dinosaur designed to protect Gert.
Not only does the show have the potential to tell a great story, it’s doing so with a young and diverse cast. This fact is not lost on 14-year-old Acosta. Speaking at the show’s panel during New York Comic Con, she praised the show for being “diverse and female-centric,” according to Hypable.
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But despite all its positive attributes, the show isn’t immune from relying on some of the same stereotypes perpetuated by mainstream media. An early scene from the first episode, which screened at NYCC, portrayed Spanish-speaking cholos in Los Angeles, who harass a young woman before a group of white women who “save” street kids come to her rescue. Hopefully this is a hiccup and not a sign of things to come.
Runaways is the streaming service’s first foray into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has mostly found success with shows on other networks like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter, Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones.
While Marvel treated fans to the first episode at the panel, the rest of us will have to wait until November 21 when Hulu will release the first three episodes. Until then, you can watch the teaser below: