If you haven’t binged season 2 of Hulu and Marvel’s “Runaways,” you may want to turn back now, as this article contains MAJOR SPOILERS. You’ve been warned.
One of the biggest surprises of “Runaways” season 2 was the addition of a fan favorite character from the comics- the shapeshifting alien Xavin, who introduces herself as Karolina’s betrothed. Clarissa Thibeaux, who plays the newest Runaway, spoke with OMFGTV regarding her character, the differences from her comic book version and joining the Marvel Universe.
“It’s like a dream come true,” Thibeaux began. “It’s Marvel! Marvel is gigantic! I couldn’t have expected this if I wanted to. It’s a complete dream and everybody that I’ve had the honor to work with on the show is lovely. It’s like being part of a gigantic, functional, amazing family and I couldn’t be happier about it.”
Thibeaux described joining the series near the end of the second season as, “It was kind of like going to school halfway through the semester. But everybody was so excited about my character. They were talking about my character coming on the show for a while and they all knew ahead of time that I was going to be there.”
“When I went to my first table read, I was surprised how many of them came up to me and wanted to meet me and were staring at me going, ‘Oh my God, you’re Xavin!’ It was the best welcome I could’ve hoped for. Coming into something where the ball was already rolling. It was easy to find my place among these mavericks of television.”
Regarding Xavin’s comic book origins, Thibeaux did her homework: “Once I found out that I got the role, I immediately went to the closest comic book store and started searching through all the volumes of Runaways looking for any ounce of Xavin and seeing what she’s saying, how she’s interacting with people, how she’s interacting with Karolina, how she’s interacting with Molly and the other Runaways, what she can’t do, what she has done in the comics. I was just trying to make sure that I was as true as I could possibly be to what the fans felt when they read the comics initially. And I hope I’ve been doing that.”
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A major difference between comic book Xavin and TV Xavin is that her comic book counterpart was born a male alien, who transformed into a woman to be with Karolina due to her sexual preference. Addressing the change, Thibeaux said, “In the comics, a lot of the time when Xavin was in male form, it was to negotiate or to fight. And now we know that you don’t have to be a man to be able to fight or negotiate. Women can do that, too. I think Xavin is beyond gender. She’s an alien, she’s otherworldly.”
In the series, Xavin’s presence throws a wrench into Karolina’s relationship with her current girlfriend, Nico. Rest assured, Thibeaux is aware of the fans’ feelings on her character: “I know there are so many Deanoru shippers! Some of them are excited about Xavin and some of them want me to go away! It’s so much fun reading all the fan comments! (Laughs)”
“The reality is that Xavin doesn’t know about Nico and Karolina’s relationship that develops in season 2,” Thibeaux continued. “I imagine that a lot of it is coming from where Karolina stands because it’s up to her. She has two women who want her affection and her love and it’s kind of up to her. We’ll see! I think season 3 is going to have a lot to offer. Once I get the scripts, I’m going to be reading like a madwoman!”
“Runaways” is available to stream on Hulu.