Grammy winner and Oscar nominee Mary J. Blige (“Mudbound”) has joined Netflix superhero series “The Umbrella Academy.” She will play time-traveling hitwoman Cha-Cha.
Based on the Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba graphic novels of the same name, the live-action series follows the estranged members of the titular dysfunctional family of superheroes — Luther, Diego, Allison, Vanya, Klaus and Number Five — as they work together to solve their father Reginald Hargreeves’ mysterious death, while coming apart at the seams due to their divergent personalities and abilities.
In the Dark Horse Comics books, Cha-Cha is a ruthless and unorthodox hitwoman who travels through time to kill assigned targets. Even though she has a few gripes about the bureaucracy of her employers, this job is her life, per Netflix’s description.
She is sadistic, sociopathic, and her reputation precedes her. Her true love is torture, and she thinks of herself as a “pain artist.” She really doesn’t care for people — except for her partner Hazel.
“The Umbrella Academy” is produced by Universal Cable Productions. Steve Blackman will serve as executive producer and showrunner, with additional executive producers Bluegrass Television and Mike Richardson and Keith Goldberg from Dark Horse Entertainment.
Gerard Way will serve as co-executive producer.
All 8 of 2017's Superhero Movies Ranked From Worst to Best (Photos)
While 2017 saw some groundbreaking superhero movies that elevated the genre, there were also some bombs that left fans disappointed. Here the year's releases ranked from worst to best.
8. Justice League Hands down, the worst superhero movie of 2017 is DC Comics Superhero team up movie, as TheWrap exclusively reported had a lot of enemies: a looming corporate merger, a family tragedy, an internal clash between light and dark themes. But its greatest enemy was time -- as in the amount allotted to make it.
Warner Bros.
7. Power Rangers Lionsgate and Saban Films released this hot mess of a film based on the popular kid's TV show’s first season back in 1993. There’s plenty about “Power Rangers” that could have been improved, from the selection of the film’s least interesting (yet whitest) character as team leader to the clunky world-building that happens in any movie that’s thirsty for sequels.
Lionsgate
6. Kingsman: The Golden Circle Without the first movie’s snappy charm, Matthew Vaughn’s follow-up to the gentleman-spy saga is just pop idiocy.
21st Century Fox
5. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Chris Pratt and company keep the banter and breeziness coming, but this sequel comes off more as fun filler than a movie unto itself.
Marvel Studios
4. Spider-Man: Homecoming The web crawler finally headlines his own MCU film. Tom Holland and Michael Keaton are standouts in this funnier, more teen-oriented take on the trials of Peter Parker.
Sony Pictures
3. Thor: Ragnarok Taika Watiti delivered the best entry in the "Thor" series which managed to be entertaining and also the funniest. There’s little pomp and even less circumstance, but its goofy pleasures are more than enough.
Marvel Studios
2. Wonder Woman 2017 will go down as the year the female-led and directed superhero movie made a statement heard around the world and at the box office to the tune of over $400 million domestic.
Warner Bros.
1. Logan The first Superhero movie of 2017 turned out to be the best one. Whether or not the “Wolverine” movies have a future — Jackman swears this is his last go-round — “Logan” is an exceedingly entertaining one.
21 Century Fox
1 of 9
From ”Justice League“ to ”Logan,“ this year was a mixed bag for movies with characters that originated in comic books
While 2017 saw some groundbreaking superhero movies that elevated the genre, there were also some bombs that left fans disappointed. Here the year's releases ranked from worst to best.