When Marvel's Runaways returns to Hulu for its second season on Dec. 21, fans will be on the lookout for new characters and storylines, but one of its biggest showpieces will be a new set -- the Runaways' home base, known in the comics as the Hostel. A new image of the hideout has been posted, giving audiences their first good look at it.
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Executive producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage explained some of what makes the Hostel so important to the show. Of the building's history, Savage said, “It’s in Griffith Park. It was originally built in the 1920s by a magician. It was lived in for many years, [but] perhaps sometime in the ’60s or ’70s there was an earthquake or mudslide that made it uninhabitable.”
Click here to view Entertainment Weekly's exclusive Runaways set photos
Schwartz revealed that the creation of the set, at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, was a huge undertaking: “It’s the biggest set that Marvel Television has ever built. When [comic co-creator] Brian K. Vaughan came to the set for the first time, he had tears in his eyes.”
The image released confirmed that no corners were cut on making the Hostel into a lavish but spooky backdrop for the adventures of the Runaways. Candelabras and antique furniture decorate the scene, but there are clear signs of abandonment in its cobwebs and disrepair -- perfect for a team of young people in hiding. “We wanted it to be our equivalent of, like, the Batcave,” said Schwartz.
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Another update for the new season will be in the cast's wardrobe, and it looks like the characters will have the Hostel to thank for that, too. Savage described the Hostel's closets as hiding "everything you'd want from every era." Viewers can look forward to Karolina (Virginia Garnder) finding her "perfect wide-legged 1970s jeans," Gert (Ariela Barer) acquiring the "perfect leather jacket," and Nico (Lyrica Okanu) donning "an adorable tiny tuxedo jacket."
The Runaways taking up residence in the Hostel is a fulfillment of the show's premise and title, as the characters spent most of the first season making the decision to leave their parents, and only now will be striking out on their own. To drive home the point, Marvel has also released a poster which shows the team's portraits on a brick wall, evoking graffiti, with the text: "We hold the power now."
Marvel’s Runaways is a Hulu original series, with all 13 episodes of Season 2 set to be released on Dec. 21. Executive producers for the series are Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, and the returning cast includes Rhenzy Feliz, Lyrica Okano, Virginia Gardner, Ariela Barer, Gregg Sulkin, Allegra Acosta, Angel Parker, Ryan Sans, Annie Wersching, Kip Pardue, Ever Carradine, James Marsters, Brigid Brannagh, Kevin Weisman, Brittany Ishibashi and James Yaegashi.