Justin Min, who plays deceased sibling and main character Ben Hargreeves on The Umbrella Academy, originally thought that the Season 2 Finale script meant that he was being written out of the show, as a consequence of the finale's withheld information.
In an interview with Netflix, Min remarked that without the complete script for Season 2, he was made to believe that the episode would be a wrap for his time on the show, given his character's fate earlier in the finale. "That scene was an absolute surprise," Min remarked. "We had not received the last few pages of [Season 2] until, I think, a week before we shot that scene. I was literally packing my bags, saying my goodbyes, and then Steve Blackman [The Umbrella Academy's showrunner] emailed just the seven of us the final pages. And I remember just being in my Toronto apartment yelling by myself in the middle of the night."
In Season 2 of The Umbrella Academy, Ben Hargreeves, played by Min, meets his end (despite already being a ghost) after sacrificing himself to save his sister Vanya from causing the end of the world. In a tense moment, the ghost of Ben proves himself to be the only one capable of withstanding Vanya's powerful blows as she loses control of her powers due to a violent interrogation tactic. Ben enters Vanya's mind to console her, ultimately giving the remainder of his life force to save her and dissolving in her arms.
Season 2 of The Umbrella Academy resolves with the remaining siblings returning to the present -- but not one they know. Their family's mansion is occupied by another set of Hargreeves siblings, with an alternate version of Ben, once again played by Min, in the middle. "It's a different Ben, it's a very different Ben than the one we know," continues Min. "It really sets us up for a really exciting season 3."
While this might be the end of the character that fans have grown accustomed to for the show's two seasons, it does not mark the end of Min's time on the show, as he is expected to remain a main character throughout the show's third season. With Sparrow Ben (as fans have dubbed him) being a thematically new character, Min and the cast shared their surprise at the moment. "It was surreal," said Min. "I almost felt like I was on a different show."
Based on the comic series of the same name by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, The Umbrella Academy stars Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher and Justin H. Min, with Ritu Arya, Yusuf Gatewood, Marin Ireland, Jordan Claire Robbins, Kate Walsh and Colm Feore. Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Netflix.
Source: YouTube