Whatever Happened To The Cast Of Marvel's Runaways?
The superhero series, "Marvel's Runaways," follows teens Alex, Nico, Karolina, Chase, Gert, and Molly as they run away from home after discovering their parents are murdering supervillains who work for a Gibborim alien named Jonah. The group of misfit teens soon discover that they have superpowers, and fight Jonah and the Pride in the first two seasons, before facing sorceress Morgan le Fay in Season 3.
Unfortunately, "Runaways" was canceled after just three seasons which came amidst production company Marvel Television being absorbed by Marvel Studios. The latter then focused on its canon MCU TV slate, which began in 2021 with "WandaVision." At the time of writing the show's third season, co-showrunners Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage didn't know if it would be the last, so they wrote the series finale specifically open-ended. "We're treating this like a series finale. But we always want to have the potential for another story out there whether it's something that we get to see on screen or something that lives on in the imagination of the audience," Schwartz told Entertainment Weekly.
The runaways are given a relatively happy ending (besides that obscure note Alex finds in his pocket), but with no chance of a fourth season for the superhero series, the stars all moved on in other directions. Some have gone on to have great movie success while others haven't acted in years. Keep reading to find out what happened to the cast of "Marvel's Runaways."
Rhenzy Feliz
After three years of playing Alex Wilder in "Runaways" and starring in an episode of "American Horror Stories," Rhenzy Feliz pivoted his career to focus on movie roles. "Runaways" fans might have spotted him in the 2020 Netflix original drama film, "All Together Now."
Feliz went from being the co-male lead in the superhero series to the male lead of the film, but he is more interested in storytelling than taking all the spotlight. "I'm very interested in being a part of a good filmmaker's overall vision ... I want the focus to be about a good story. As long as we're telling a good story and making good cinema, I care about being a part of something bigger than just me," he explained to Collider. He starred alongside an impressive cast that includes "Moana" actor Auliʻi Cravalho, Justina Machado, Fred Armisen, Carol Burnett, Judy Reyes, Taylor Richardson, Gerald Isaac Waters, and Anthony Jacques.
Feliz's movie career has continued to grow, too. In 2021, he starred alongside Sandra Oh in "The Same Storm" and Ben Affleck in "The Tender Bar." These roles undoubtedly contributed to Feliz bagging a voice role in one of the biggest films of that year, Disney's "Encanto," in which he voiced Camilo. This was a really special project for the actor, who is of Dominican descent. "This to me is just a beautiful representation of what our culture is," Feliz noted at the "Encanto" premiere.
Lyrica Okano
Following the end of the Hulu show in 2019, Lyrica Okano, who played Nico Minoru, reunited with her co-star Feliz for the 2021 short film, "Jelly." Since then, she's split her focus between movies and TV shows, first playing Amy in Roku's "Immoral Compass" and Willa Tan in a Season 9 episode of "Chicago P.D.," before starring in the romantic musical drama, "Press Play."
Okano said she signed on for the film specifically because it offered her such a contrast to the darker character she played in the Marvel series. "I was exhausted, and I felt like I needed to laugh a little bit," she revealed to The List." I wanted to have some fun and bring some lightness back into my life, and I read the script. It was in Hawaii, and it was a love story and thinking about the idea of getting to play Chloe, who brings all the fun." However, Okano clearly missed her Marvel character to some degree, and in 2022, she portrayed Nico again. This time, however, she lent her voice to the Marvel video game "Midnight Suns," which was her first voice-only role.
Virginia Gardner
When her time playing Gibborim-Human hybrid Karolina Dean came to an end, Virginia Gardner quickly secured more acting work in 2020, appearing alongside Elle Fanning and Justice Smith in the romantic drama, "All the Bright Places."
Gardner then guest-starred in an episode of the anthology series, "American Horror Stories," and Julia Roberts' biographical-historical drama, "Gaslit," before securing a major film role in the Scott Mann-directed feature, "Fall." Speaking about the thriller which was filmed in California's Mojave desert, Gardner admitted it was a pretty wild ride in a post on Instagram: "This was the craziest project any of us have ever been a part of. We were hit with crazy storms in the desert, bug infestations, giant snakes... you name it." However, the actor also noted that it was one of her most rewarding acting experiences and she was extremely proud of everything the cast and crew accomplished on the project.
In 2023, Gardner is set to star alongside Dylan Sprouse in the "Beautiful Disaster" film franchise, which is an adaptation of the book of the same name by Jamie McGuire. It was optioned by Voltage Pictures, the production company behind the young adult "After" film franchise. Gardner also announced on Instagram that the cast and crew completed the movie's sequel, "Beautiful Wedding," which they filmed back to back.
Gregg Sulkin
The actor behind Chase Stein, Gregg Sulkin, has never been short on TV roles, spending the past decade bouncing from shows like "Wizards of Waverly Place," to "Melissa and Joey," to "Faking It," before landing on "Runaways." He even starred in films like "Status Update" and "A Cinderella Story: A Christmas Wish" while working on the Marvel series. When it ended, he turned to features again, starring in "Deported," "This is the Year," and "Oh Boy!" in 2020, before finding a home in Netflix's ensemble sitcom, "Pretty Smart," in 2021. However, their tenure on the series was short-lived as it only lasted for one season, despite positive audience reviews.
Despite this, "Pretty Smart" was another good learning experience for the actor. He noted how important it is to be giving it your all when you're working on a multi-cam show, as "you can't hide." Sulkin explained to Cinemablend: "Sometimes, it's not your joke, but you need to make sure that you're delivering your line to tee up somebody's joke, so they can go and knock it out of the park ... It's a team effort."
2023 marked a slight change in direction for Sulkin, who's moving away from comedy to focus on war dramas like "World on Fire," and "Six Triple Eight." Sulkin shared his appreciation for being cast in the latter film on Instagram, which is being written, directed, and produced by Tyler Perry. He will star alongside Kerry Washington, Sam Waterston, Susan Sarandon, and Oprah Winfrey.
Ariela Barer
Since playing the purple-haired teen Gert Yorkes in "Runaways," Ariela Barer has continued to appear in teen and student roles. She notably guest starred in a Season 16 episode of "Grey's Anatomy" as scholarship student Paula and portrayed Chloe in the "Saved by the Bell" revival.
In 2021, Barer claimed one of the main roles in the ABC series, "Rebel." Her character, Ziggy Bello, is not that different from her "Runaways" character Gert, who was also a bit of a teen activist. Barer continued her career in a similar vein, writing and starring in the western thriller, "How To Blow Up a Pipeline," which follows a crew of environmental activists looking to disrupt an oil pipeline.
Barer's passion for activism extends beyond the screen, too. She uses social media to shine a light on social issues covering everything from fast fashion to trans rights. She's wary of calling herself a celebrity activist, though. "I was only sharing direct actions you could take, or new information that I legitimately didn't know before, or something that I knew someone could benefit from learning. Instead of just sharing generic slogans that don't mean anything, where you're just posting so people don't get mad at you," she told W Magazine.
Allegra Acosta
Allegra Acosta played Gert's adopted little sister, Molly Hernandez, in "Runaways." She has several other acting credits to her name, including an episode of the family fantasy series, "Just Add Magic." However, Acosta has not acted since the Marvel superhero series ended in 2019. She's not strayed too far from the entertainment industry, though, having attended the premiere of the moving feminist drama "Women Talking" in 2022.
The self-described artist is reportedly taking her career in a different direction, focusing on her musical pursuits, as her IMDb bio notes: "The screen is only one area where Allegra shines. A singer and songwriter since her childhood in El Paso, TX, Allegra is hard at work in the studio on her debut EP."
Acosta has also followed in the footsteps of her on-screen big sister when it comes to activism. She is very specific about what she posts on social media, but a large portion of her Instagram is dedicated to posting photos about women's rights and calling out injustice in the US.
Annie Wersching
Following her stint as Karolina's mom and head of the Church of Gibborim, Leslie Dean, Annie Wersching scored a recurring role in ABC's "The Rookie," appearing in six episodes of the crime drama between 2019 and 2022. Unfortunately, Wersching received a cancer diagnosis in 2020 and was forced to retire in 2022. The actor sadly died on 29 January, 2023, at 45.
Wersching is survived by three children and her husband Stephen Full, who shared a bittersweet statement about his wife's death, published by Deadline: "There is a cavernous hole in the soul of this family today. But she left us the tools to fill it. She found wonder in the simplest moment. She didn't require music to dance. She taught us not to wait for adventure to find you. 'Go find it. It's everywhere.' And find it we shall."
In the years between 2019 and 2022, Wersching continued playing Julia Brasher in the long-running crime drama, "Bosch," and starred in the second season of "Star Trek: Picard." In one of her last Instagram posts before her passing, Wersching shared how thrilled she was to be a part of the sci-fi series: "What fun it has been to bring this incarnation of the Borg Queen to life."
Julian McMahon
After portraying antagonist Jonah (also known as The Magistrate) in "Runaways," Australian actor Julian McMahon had no trouble adding to his varied filmography, finding a longstanding role as Supervisory Special Agent Jess LaCroix in CBS' "FBI" universe from 2019 to 2022. Showrunner David Hudgins spoke to Variety about the dramatic decision to kill off McMahon's character in "FBI: Most Wanted," explaining that it felt like the only fitting end for the character. "At the end, Julian being the very gracious person that he is, said, 'Look, I trust you guys to do what you think is best for the show and best for the story. I'm good with whatever you guys decide,'" Hudgins said.
At the beginning of 2022, the "Charmed" alum told Variety that it was his decision to leave the series in order to pursue other creative opportunities. One of those opportunities turned out to be the drama feature, "The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat." As of February 2023, the film's release date has yet to be set, but some other casting details have been released. Alongside McMahon, the film stars Uzo Aduba, Aunjanue Ellis, Sanaa Lathan, Russell Hornsby, and Mekhi Phifer as a friendship group (self-dubbed as the Supremes) who go through the ups and downs of life together.
Kip Pardue
Kip Pardue portrayed the often pitiful "Runaways" character Frank Dean, who was relegated to the sidelines while his wife Leslie Dean had a decades-long affair with Karolina's biological father, Jonah. Prior to landing on "Runaways," Pardue shot to fame thanks to the 2000 film, "Remember the Titans," before appearing in episodes of popular shows like "ER," "Mad Men," and "Law & Order: SVU," throughout the '00s. Pardue starred in the first two seasons of "Runaways" but he did not return for Season 3. Instead, he played Uncle Ray in the action crime drama, "Chokehold," sharing the screen with Lochlyn Munro, Casper Van Dien, and Melissa Croden.
"Chokehold" was Pardue's last acting credit, as the SAG-AFTRA constitution found him guilty of sexual harassment against fellow actor, Sarah Scott, per The Los Angeles Times. Pardue paid a $6,000 fine for the 2018 incident, despite having the option to reduce the fine to $3,000 if he took a sexual harassment workshop because he maintained his innocence.
Ever Carradine
Ever Carradine played Janet Stein, another of the villainous — but eventually reformed — parents in "Runaways." While starring in the superhero series, Carradine also continued working on the Emmy Award-winning show, "The Handmaid's Tale," playing Naomi Putnam in the dystopian series based on Margaret Atwood's best-selling novel of the same name.
"The Handmaid's Tale" has had several big-name directors at its helm like Mike Barker and Kari Skogland. However, it was the show's star-turned-director Elizabeth Moss who Carradine was most excited to work. "To have Lizzie [Moss] as the director was like one more level of comfort because she's also been there, sort of right there through Naomi's entire story," Carradine told Showbiz Cheatsheet. "So I knew she knew exactly what we needed to get. She knows Naomi and Serena's relationship probably better than I do."
Alongside starring in "The Handmaid's Tale," Carradine has used the show to make a subtle but pointed political commentary on Instagram by indirectly referencing women's rights in the United States. Outside of these major TV roles, Carradine has also had guest roles in popular series like "The Good Doctor, "Good Girls," and "The Rookie."
James Marsters
James Marsters played Carradine's on-screen husband, Victor Stein, who was a complex character, to say the least. Playing the villain is the best thing about his career, though, according to the actor who is best known for playing Spike in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Therefore, it's no surprise he's gone on to play characters like terrorist Victor Hesse in "Hawaii Five-O" and Nosferatu in "DuckTales" since his time on "Runaways."
There is a strategic reason why Marsters always seeks out villainous roles, though: he believes they will guarantee the longevity of his career. "You know, if I was a hero I'd have a certain shelf life, but thank goodness I got known for villains. So I'm going to be around," the actor explained to AV Club.
Marsters, who aspires to be part of every major movie and TV franchise, has his eye on another infamous villain, too. He told the outlet that he wants to portray Count Dooku if the "Star Wars" prequel films ever get a remake. "He was like 75 years old doing lightsaber stuff. Villains last. So I may yet get on all of them," he said.
Elizabeth Hurley
British star Elizabeth Hurley was fresh off her four-year stint as Queen Helena in "The Royals" when she joined "Runaways" as a villainous witch, Morgan le Fay, in Season 3. Since the show ended, Hurley has starred in a string of movies, such as "Welcome to Georgia," and Netflix's "Father Christmas is Back."
After filming "Christmas in Paradise," the sequel to "Father Christmas is Back," in the Caribbean, Hurley did, in fact, return to paradise for another project. "It's a very exciting project for me. I'm producing and starring in a movie called Strictly Confidential. It's my son's first movie as a director, so it's hard work on every level," she told MovieWeb at the end of 2022.
Alongside working together, Hurley has candidly spoken out about her experience as a working mother single to her now-adult son Damian. She told Us Magazine that she has always made her son her top priority, but it hasn't been easy having a career as well. "It's ludicrously hard to try and do," she said. "We all try. We all succeed in places, and we often feel like we failed in places."