Marvel's Inhumans
The latest Marvel superheroes (and villains) to smash the small screen
MARVEL’S INHUMANS HAS had something of an interesting journey to the small screen. The property, which explores the political intrigue at the heart of a family of super-powered enhanced (don’t call them mutants, mainly for legal reasons) beings, was initially announced as a movie; part of Marvel Studios’ post-avengers: Infinity War phase. Then it got shifted to TV, where it appears to have been reimagined as The Crown with capes. But who are the Inhumans? Let’s ask them.
Anson Mount IS Black Bolt
The king of the Inhumans, Black Bolt — full name, Blackagar Boltagon, no-shit fans — is blessed with a voice that can level cities, so
he doesn’t speak. Call him Marvel Marceau. “I adore the character. It’s so well-written, in the sense that he’s a leader who understands the
power of his own voice. He’s become a stoic and a leader who’s bearing a lot of secrets. He doesn’t realise that he’s conflated his reserve as a leader with an emotional removal.”
Serinda Swan IS Medusa
Black Bolt’s queen, Medusa gets her name from the monster of Greek mythology, a nod to her sentient hair that can attack opponents. She’s a cut above. “If you look at a lot of the comics, we’re the heroes, the villains, we’re in-between — you’re not sure. We go all over the map. And so it wasn’t so much trying to encompass all of her past. It was taking a slice out of her life that is the Inhumans in this circumstance, and doing the best you can to represent that.”
Iwan Rheon IS Maximus
The former Ramsay Bolton heads straight into another game of thrones as Black Bolt’s ambitious, and possibly treacherous, younger brother. “He’s become known as Maximus The Mad. But he’s not mad; he’s sort of a revolutionary, forward-thinking politician who wants to change things for the better of the people and for his own personal gain. So Max The Antagonist is more accurate — it’s not alliteration but that’s the sort of thing we were going for.”
Mike Moh IS Triton
A green, finned Inhuman, Triton is a dab webbed hand when it comes to fighting the good fight underwater. “The main thing I wanted to portray is that Triton is fiercely loyal. Anything that Black Bolt said to me, I would put my life on it. Anything for the safety and betterment of our family. It helps when you like the people you hang out with — I haven’t known them long, but I consider everyone family. We became a real unit.”
Eme Ikwuakor IS Gorgon
Another Greek-themed Inhuman, Gorgon is possessed of two hooves, all the better for stomping the bad guys “Gorgon is always acting on impulse. It sounds weird, but every single day I would get injured — purposefully! I always had to feel that I had to push my body to the limit, because that’s what Gorgon would do. It got to a point where I would be like, ‘I feel like eating boulders today.’”
Ken Leung IS Karnak
An Inhuman who has the uncanny ability to see the fault in everything, from opponent’s strategies and powers to the third act of Baby Driver. “The series is very, very dark. It’s like one shade of black from beginning to end. My role is also more physically demanding than any I’ve ever played. So that together with the darkness has made the character a little hard to catch. I’m always trying to catch it.”
Sonya Balmores IS Auran
The fiercely loyal head of the Royal Guard, tasked with protecting Black Bolt and his kin from harm. “She’s really close to the family. Like a personal assistant — you see the good, the bad and the ugly. I did some work as a personal assistant once, so I had a lot to work from.”
Isabelle Cornish IS Crystal
An Elemental, Crystal can control earth, wind and fire — and other ’70s soul groups. “She’s the youngest member of the Royal Family, so I got to bring in an element of youth. Being the youngest, as well, I haven’t experienced my powers as long, so there’s that journey of trying out her powers, which was really nice.”
Ellen Woglom IS Louise
A character created just for the TV show. Not much is known about her. Louise may not even be her real name. “My character brings a levity to the show. She doesn’t try to be funny, but her personality is one where she takes her job really seriously and sometimes that’s humorous. Man, there’s so much I can’t say. I don’t even know why I’m here!”