After trickling out casting announcements for key roles over the past two weeks, Marvel announced the full main cast for its upcoming Inhumans series that will air this fall on ABC.
Inhumans was initially expected to be a prominent part of Marvel’s upcoming cinematic universe. The story about a race of mutated humans and the royal family that rules their realm, Inhumans was announced as part of Marvel’s “Phase Three” slate of films in October 2014. (Phase Three began with last year’s Captain America: Civil War.)
Originally scheduled for a November 2018 release, Inhumans kept getting pushed back by Marvel, supposedly because of new projects that developed, such as an Ant-Man sequel and the studio sharing the rights to a Spider-Man film with Sony. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige insisted that an Inhumans film was still in development, but it soon became apparent that the future of Marvel’s answer to the X-Men films was uncertain and there were rumors that the movie had been canceled.
Last November, Marvel made the surprise announcement that Inhumans was going to be a network TV series, essentially ending its prospects as a feature film. The series will air on ABC, with the first two episodes to make a two-week IMAX theatrical run before the show’s broadcast premiere.
The Inhumans were long a prominent part of Marvel’s weird, universe-bending MCU future. A movie aptly titled Inhumans was announced as part of Marvel’s Phase 3.
So who are The Inhumans and what are they all about? Which actors will be playing the story’s prominent characters? We assembled a primer for you that covers what is known about the series and its Marvel Comics origins.
What are Inhumans?
Created by aliens known as Kree (bad guy Ronan the Accuser in Guardians of the Galaxy was one) , who experimented on humans thousands of years ago, Inhumans are essentially advanced humans. The change from human to Inhuman occurs when they’re exposed to a mutative Terrigen Mist. The process is unpredictable. Once Terrigenesis is complete and the affected emerges from a cocoon, their powers quickly manifest. Working with the Royal Family on Attilan, the powers are put to use in the most efficient way possible.
Attilan is an isolated island off the North Atlantic Ocean. Inhumans don’t intentionally interact with society and have little to no contact with the outside world. Once more Inhumans emerge following a release of Terrigen Mist to the general public, the search is on for new Inhumans to help and protect from those who would capture and subject them to experiments.
Have we seen them before?
Yes, we have. Marvel head Kevin Feige ultimately scrapped the Inhumans movie, but major plotlines and characters have popped up throughout Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Instead of the Terrigen mist, S.H.I.E.L.D. changed the story so Terrigen-fueled fish oil pills caused the transformation.
On the show, popular Inhumans from Marvel Comics such as Lash have been part of the storyline, while Daisy Johnson’s Quake was made to have Inhuman origins. Inhumans are still a huge part of the show. The question is now whether the two shows will co-exist on ABC.
Black Bolt – Anson Mount
Black Bolt is the Inhuman with the voice of power, both in the Inhumans hierarchy and in terms of ability. Simply whispering a word can result in Black Bolt causing major damage. The louder he speaks, the more destruction he causes. He’s essentially a mute unless forced to use his voice. In Marvel mythology, he’s been in an on-and-off relationship with Attilan’s queen, Medusa.
Mount most recently starred in the lead role on AMC’s Hell on Wheels. The role likely won’t require much dialogue, so Mount will have to be emotive in other ways.
Medusa – Serinda Swan
The queen and public face of the Inhumans, Medusa is the real voice of Attilan. Black Bolt’s need to keep his mouth shut makes her the ultimate communicator. Medusa is armed with prehensile hair that can grab and has tremendous strength. She can kick some ass. Swan last starred in Graceland and played the DC Comics character Zatanna on Smallville.
Maximus the Mad – Iwan Rheon
Maximus is Black Bolt’s brother who is completely unhinged and hellbent on bringing down the Royal Family. Possessing genius-level smarts, Maximus uses knowledge and manipulation to get what he desires. His relationship with Black Bolt isn’t good. Expect him to do some shady shit.
Rheon, fresh off of playing the total bastard Ramsay Bolton in Game of Thrones, is some of the best casting Marvel has done. Excited to see his performance.
Karnak – Ken Leung
Karnak is the lethal advisor to the Royal Family and the cousin of Black Bolt. An accomplished artist, Karnak can sense weak points in enemies and objects, using his ridiculous fighting skills to take down whoever gets in his way. He’s one of the last Inhumans you want to mess with. Leung is best-known for playing Miles on Lost.
Gorgon – Eme Ikwuakor
Another cousin of Black Bolt, Gorgon is Attilan’s military boss. Armed with powerful, human-deer crossed legs, Gorgon can send shockwaves simply by stomping. In the comics, Gorgon eventually becomes paralyzed and finds new meaning as a trainer for NuHumans (newly mutated Inhumans). Ikwuakor appeared in the Will Smith film Concussion.
Crystal – Isabelle Cornish
Medusa’s younger sister has the ability to control the elements. Serving as her sister’s confidant, she also recruits and searches for undiscovered Inhumans affected by the Terrigen Mist. Cornish is best known for appearing in the Australian TV series Puberty Blues.
Triton – Mike Moh
Another cousin of Black Bolt, Triton is essentially a fish-human hybrid capable of living underwater. He’s served as both an ally and an accidental antagonist to the Inhuman Royal Family. He undoubtedly wants the best for his kind, however. Moh has recently appeared on Fox’s Empire.
Auran – Sonya Balmores
Head of the Royal Guards on Attilan, Auran is an investigator who can locate people over great distances by zeroing in on their voice. Her signature physical features are yellow skin and big ears. A former Miss Teen USA runner-up, Balmores most recently appeared on Beyond the Break.
Ellen Woglom – Undisclosed
Nothing has been revealed regarding Woglom’s character, but she’s described as a focused, passionate person who works at a private aerospace company. Perhaps, she’s going to be the human (or new Inhuman) who discovers Attilan.
Lockjaw – CGI
You can’t have an Inhumans series without the lovable, teleporting dog Lockjaw! A 2,000-pound canine, he has the ability to teleport the Royal Family (and whomever else), which comes in handy in dire situations. If teleportation wasn’t enough, he can also consume inorganic materials with no ill effects.
Lockjaw has most recently appeared in Marvel’s popular comic Ms. Marvel. As an Inhuman, could she appear on the TV series? Fans would love that.
Marvel’s Inhumans is scheduled to begin its eight-episode run on ABC (preceded by the first two episodes premiering in IMAX theaters) this September.
