[Editor’s note: The following contains major spoilers for Season 4 of The Umbrella Academy.]

The Big Picture

In Season 4 of the Netflix series ‘The Umbrella Academy,’ the Hargreeves siblings must restore their powers to save the world, despite some feeling better without them.
The final season focuses on self-acceptance and closure, providing answers to long-awaited questions.
David Castañeda and Justin H. Min discuss the bittersweet feeling of shooting their final scenes as an ensemble, after spending four seasons together.

In the final season of the Netflix original series The Umbrella Academy, a reset of the timeline stripped them of their powers and left them to find a new purpose. On that journey, they learned their father, Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore), was actually alive and well, and a mysterious group known as The Keepers were talking ominously about a Cleanse. Viktor (Elliot Page), Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman), Luther (Tom Hopper), Klaus (Robert Sheehan), Diego (David Castañeda), Ben (Justin H. Min) and Five (Aidan Gallagher), along with Lila (Ritu Arya), quickly realized that they had to restore their powers, even if some of them felt life was truly better without them, because they needed them if they were to set the world right again. When they learn just what it will take to stop the end of everything, they all must agree that the sacrifice is worth it, or they’ll just start the cycle all over again.

The Hargreeves siblings learned who they were without powers and not only did viewers get answers, but even some of the characters did as well, with Ben finally understanding the Jennifer Incident. During this interview with Collider, Castañeda and Min discussed their hope that fans will find closure with series finale, the importance of a definitive ending, how bittersweet it felt to shoot their last ensemble scene, Min’s motion-capture suit, the slow-motion fight scene with the cat, sharing the same favorite moment, and what they most enjoyed about playing their characters for four seasons.

The Umbrella Academy A dysfunctional family of adopted superhero siblings reunites to solve the mystery of their father’s death and prevent an impending apocalypse. As they confront their past and battle external threats, their fractured relationships and unique powers drive a mix of action, drama, and dark humor.Release Date February 15, 2019 Cast Colm Feore , Cazzie David , Genesis Rodriguez , Robert Sheehan , Aidan Gallagher , elliot page , Emmy Raver-Lampman , Jordan Claire Robbins , Jake Epstein , Mary J. Blige , David Castaneda , Justin Cornwell , Justin H. Min , Britne Oldford , Adam Godley , Tom Hopper , Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton , Ritu Arya , Cameron Britton , Sheila McCarthy Seasons 4 Streaming Service(s) Netflix Expand

Co-Stars David Castañeda & Justin H. Min Hope Fans Feel Closure With ‘The Umbrella Academy’ Series Finale
Image via Netflix

Collider: Justin, after not knowing what happened to Ben for so long, what was it like to find out and to learn that he was responsible for the end of the world?

JUSTIN H. MIN: It was a lot to digest, but I’m just very thankful. It felt like we were building up to this moment for the past three seasons, and I’m glad the fans will hopefully find some resolution and some closure and some answers that we’ve all been waiting for.

How did they break it to you? Did they ease you into it at all?

MIN: Absolutely not, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. We’re one for all, all for one, so I’m glad we got to go out together.

Justin, what was it like to find and explore that relationship with Jennifer, on the way there? There is quite a journey that Ben gets to go on, and this relationship really evolves before we see what the ultimate outcome of it all is.

MIN: Yeah. I was not privy to the whole Jennifer Incident or the cause of Ben’s death, so as we were getting the scripts for Season 4, I was discovering that along with everyone else. To play and get to act alongside Victoria [Sawal], who plays Jennifer, was such a joy. She’s incredible. And to have a relationship where Ben finally feels seen and loved, brought out a new side of him that I don’t think we’ve ever really seen, literally and metaphorically. It was a thrill to play that side of him, as well.

3:20 Related Our Biggest Unanswered Questions After ‘The Umbrella Academy’ Season 4 Finale After the end of the Hargreeves’ story, there’s still a lot we don’t know the answer to.

David, did it feel like it was inevitable that they had to be consumed for all of this to end? What was your reaction to learning how it would all play out?

DAVID CASTAÑEDA: I didn’t see another ending without it feeling like there was gonna be a Season 5. Every other season, they would zap out, pop up somewhere else, and then we were left with another journey, and I didn’t see it any other way. I feel very fulfilled. Sad that this was it, but necessary for it to have more meaning, rather than just leaving fans semi-hopeful.

It felt like in Season 4, all these characters got to a place of self-acceptance, even though they didn’t get to enjoy it for very long.

CASTAÑEDA: That’s credit to the writers. Steve Blackman and the writers knew where it was going, and they formulated it in such a way that it didn’t leave us feeling like there was more to tell. And I’m sure there is. I’m sure they could find it. But knowing that this was the last season, it made us, as performers, relish in those moments even more.

Related The Umbrella Academy’ Showrunner Explains the Shocking Series Finale and Why It Was Inevitable Show creator Steve Blackman also talks about which unfinished story he wishes he’d been able to resolve.

It’s rare that an ensemble gets to end a series as an ensemble. What was it like to shoot those final scenes together?

MIN: It was really bittersweet. There was this looming hum of knowing that it was gonna end. We were trying to savor the moment, but also just trying to be present for the work that we had ahead of us and trying to get the scene done and do our best as possible. It was this push and pull of feeling sad, but also trying to stay focused, and all these mixed, swirling emotions happening at the same time.

CASTAÑEDA: Yeah, it made long nights that much shorter. We’d been together for six years, so we’ve talked and seen everything about each other. So, it felt fitting and very comfortable to be able to express ourselves and not feel dumb for being vulnerable with each other.

How Did ‘The Umbrella Academy’ Pull Off Ben’s Season 4 Transformation?
Image via Netflix

Justin, what did you look like in those final moments? How much was prosthetics versus VFX added later?

MIN: We have an amazing prosthetics team and we outlined the entire season with the evolution of Ben. We named the different stages, and the first few stages were all practical prosthetics. The warts on my face and the rash on my arm were done practically. And then, as he really started to evolve into this monster, it was more CGI. I was in a mo-cap suit and I had a thousand dots on my face. It was a lot of fun. It looked like chicken pox.

What did you find most surprising or interesting about that whole process?

MIN: It’s like how you feel when you are in a costume for Halloween. You almost feel like you can do anything and become this character. It’s somewhat how we feel when we put on our costumes for the show, but in a much more heightened way. I felt like I could tap into things while wearing the mo-cap suit that I couldn’t necessarily do, and I don’t really know why. When you put on that suit, you just feel like a different person.

CASTAÑEDA: Like Benedict Cumberbatch in The Hobbit.

MIN: Oh, my God, yeah.

David, what did you most enjoy about the powerless version of your character and getting to spend a bit of time with Diego in a different way?

CASTAÑEDA: I loved watching him be mopey and resentful and angry at things, but also wishing that things were different. I liked the idea of the marigold feeling like sex. He hasn’t had sex with his wife in years, but here’s this marigold, and the marigold is so tempting. He was tapping into something that felt very Al Bundy-esque and this thing that he used to have, when the past was better than the present. That behavior and frustration gives a lot of freedom to just not care about other people and be very selfish, and I really enjoyed that.

Yes, the Cat Flying By in That ‘Umbrella Academy’ Season 4 Fight Scene Was Real
Image via Netflix

I really loved the slow-motion fight scene that you and Tom Hopper had together, when you were fighting all those people, a cat flew by, and you ended up shirtless. What was that like to shoot?

CASTAÑEDA: I was always looking forward to that scene. Steve said, “There’s a big fight at the CIA, and you and Luther are gonna fight naked. I was like, “That’s great. I’m very excited about what’s gonna happen here.” And I remember that cat flying. We actually had a cat on set to do that.

MIN: That was a real cat?

CASTAÑEDA: That was a real cat.

MIN: I didn’t know that.

CASTAÑEDA: It’s crazy. The point is that Neville [Kidd], who has been our DP for all four seasons, had referenced that Salvador Dalí frame of the cat flying with the water. He was like, “Look, I’m trying to recreate this specific shot,” which is the shot they used in the trailer with the cat and me moving. That specific shot was referencing Dalí.

MIN: Wait, they threw the cat?

CASTAÑEDA: I don’t know if they threw it, but they were there with the cat and they kept doing the camera and the movement.

MIN: That’s crazy.

CASTAÑEDA: There might be a little CGI in there, but there was a real cat. The whole fight sequence was funny because we were like, “Wouldn’t if be funny if we did the Rush Hour handshake?” So, we learned that handshake really quick, and then we got bombarded by a thousand agents.

Is there more of a risk of getting injured during a fight scene like that when you don’t have a shirt on?

CASTAÑEDA: No, there’s just more embarrassment. You’re not just vulnerable, you’re literally naked, so there’s this thought of, “I’m a superhero, so I should be fit for this.” We’re very well protected by the stunt people. They’re so careful with us that I’m not worried about getting injured, so much as just keeping up with a very regulated diet to be able to do my best.

What is your favorite moment in this final season?

MIN: I do like the Wanda stuff. I think it’s hilarious. There’s a little Triangle of Sadness reference in there when we all start vomiting, which was a lot of fun. I just love when we’re all together. I think that’s when the magic really happens with the show.

CASTAÑEDA: Yeah, Wanda was my favorite too. Being in that van for that entire sequence, that’s when it feels like Umbrella on steroids.

Related This ‘Umbrella Academy’ Character Deserves Their Own Spin-off This Hargreeves is practically made for side-questing.

After playing these characters for so long, and doing nearly 40 episodes over four seasons, how did your relationship to your character change throughout the time that you played them?

MIN: The thing I’m grateful for is that sometimes you hear from actors who’ve been on television shows for many, many years, and the character starts to feel stale and like the same thing, over and over again. But I never felt that way on this show. Every season, I played a new version of Ben, which was super exciting. I feel like I learned something about Ben, every season. Even the pairings on the show and who you spent the most time with every season changed. It was exciting to see how different characters would unlock different things about each other.

CASTAÑEDA: From the beginning, when Diego was very hard on himself and stale and just trying to have an edge, to Season 4, when he’s frumpy and resentful, and trying to figure out fatherhood and being a husband, only a show like this one would allow that shift to happen organically and still fit the dynamic with all the siblings. It’s not just one storyline, it’s seven storylines, so how do you make all of them still mesh when they come together because people can be so different, but when they come together, they still sing. That’s what makes every performer in this cast so special. They can come in and somehow it still sings. I’ve seen films where, by the sequel or the trilogy, you’ll have characters come from different places and the chemistry is a little off because they’re really trying to honor whatever they’re going through in that moment, and sometimes it doesn’t work. When I got to see it all put together, and I saw what Diego was going through and how we were still able to sing together, that’s when I knew we had great chemistry.

And whoever would have thought that Diego and Five would be having tension over the same woman?

CASTAÑEDA: Lila is a cradle robber, let’s be honest. That’s gonna go viral.

The Umbrella Academy is available to stream on Netflix.

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