French fans of ‘Umbrella Academy’ criticise Elliot Page’s dub
(Credit: Netflix)

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French fans of 'Umbrella Academy' criticise Elliot Page's dub

Fans in France of Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy have expressed dissatisfaction with what they claim to be low-quality dubbing of Elliot Page’s character in the show’s third season.

Viktor Hargreeves, portrayed by Page, was presented as a woman for the initial two seasons of the show, during which time, a cisgender woman (Jessica Monceau) performed Page’s lines in French.

In season three, however, after Page came out as a trans person in 2020, their character Hargreeves goes on an emotional journey and also begins their transition in the second episode of the season. During the third season, they are voiced in French by a cisgender man (Jean-Baptiste Manuier).

Maunier expressed his joy at being able to voice Hargreeves, saying on Instagram, “I’m very proud today to have entered the passionate world of dubbing that I have been dreaming about since childhood. I feel lucky to be the French voice of Elliot Page in The Umbrella Academy on Netflix.”

However, French fans’ reaction to the voice work was varied, with one person arguing that Netflix refused to “respect consistency and the voice of the actor.” Others believed that the change came too quickly, with Maunier voicing Page before Hargreeves had even transitioned in the second episode. Another fan felt that Jessica Monceau could have done it herself.

The season of the show in question had already been written prior to Page’s coming out, and show writer Steve Blackman rewrote the script to include it. He said, “We wanted it to not be the story of the season. We wanted it to be a story, or a part of the story. We wanted to tell a story that was really pro-trans, authentic, sensitive, and show that families can accept trans people in their lives, and it does not have to be a negative thing, as it’s often portrayed in the media. That was paramount. I talked with Elliot through the whole thing, and I’m really proud of how we did it. I thought it came across in a way that we all felt good about.”