Elliot Page is getting a new name in The Umbrella Academy season 3

Elliot Page’s character in The Umbrella Academy season 3 is getting a new name: he’ll now be known as Viktor Hargreeves, rather than Vanya.

Page came out as transgender and nonbinary in December 2020, and now uses the pronouns he/they. It wasn’t known whether he would continue to play Vanya or if the character would also transition, but this appears to confirm that it’ll be the latter.

Page announced the new name on Twitter, saying simply: “Meet Viktor Hargreeves” above a shot of the character sitting in a bar, presumably a still from Season 3.

Netflix also confirmed the change, retweeting Page’s post from its LGBTQ+-centric Most profile with the words “FEELS SO GOOD TO SAY THIS”:

What isn’t clear is how the transition will be dealt with in the show. According to The AV Club, Netflix confirmed to them that Page’s character “will come out as transgender in season 3 and be henceforth known as ‘Viktor Hargreeves.’” However, the streaming giant has yet to reveal any concrete details, for instance whether Vanya will transition to become Viktor in one of the episodes, or if it will be dealt with offscreen. 

We’ll find out for sure this summer, because The Umbrella Academy season 3 will hit Netflix on June 22, nearly two years after season 2. And it’ll be all change for the entire gang once again, thanks to those pesky alternate universe complications that keep rearing their head.

To recap, at the end of season 2, the Hargreeves family returned from an alternate 1963 to their own timeline — April 2, 2019. However, on arriving at the Umbrella Academy mansion, they discovered their ‘dead’ father, Reginald, is now alive and presiding over a group called the Sparrow Academy. What’s more, Ben — who spent the previous two seasons in spectral form — is no longer a ghost, and doesn’t know them.

While there’s currently no official trailer for The Umbrella Academy season 3, we do have this teaser to whet the appetite:

It’s all set up to be another head-spinning and heart-wrenching series, then — which is why we consider it to be one of the best Netflix shows. 

Stuck for things to occupy you until season 3 arrives on the platform in June? Check out our guide to what to watch in April 2022 across all of the best streaming services.