Luther looks somewhat different from what fans may be used to in Season 4 of The Umbrella Academy, leaving many wondering if there was a change in actors after Season 3.
First premiering in 2019, The Umbrella Academy aired its fourth and final season. The six-episode final chapter hit Netflix on August 8.
Throughout four seasons across roughly five years, fans have seen the core characters grow and change as they attempt to stop the world from ending several times.
[ Full Cast of Umbrella Academy Season 4 - Every Main Character & Actor Who Appears (Photos) ]
Was Luther Re-Cast in Umbrella Academy Season 4?
Despite apparent physical differences between Luther in Seasons 1-3 of The Umbrella Academy and the character in Season 4, Tom Hopper played the role from beginning to end (besides in flashback scenes to when Luther was a kid when Cameron Brodeur portrays the character).
For plot reasons, Hopper did not need to wear the bulky body suit he had worn for The Umbrella Academy's first three seasons in Season 4. He also changed his hairstyle for Season 4, raising the question of whether Luther was played by someone entirely different.
He wore two different body suits in Seasons 1 (and presumably 2 and 3 as well), depending on what the scene being filmed required of him. When hiding his bulk, he wears a version "that was a two-minute job; you zip into it," as Hopper told SYFY WIRE in 2019.
He explained that when he had to show his bulky body in full — gorilla features and all — "that was a bit more elaborate, and laborious." It turns out, as Hopper shared, that "They stick it all on [him] and paint it."
The difficult-to-manage body suit was worthwhile to Hopper, though, with the actor explaining the value of being able "to feel what Luther is feeling every day ... because he is still getting used to having this size."
Why Does Luther Look Different in Season 4 (In-Universe Reason)?
Though absurd and complex, the in-universe explanation behind Luther's physical differences between Seasons 1-3 and Season 4 is relatively straightforward.
Before Season 1, between the disbanding of The Umbrella Academy and Reginald Hargreeves's death, Luther spent time on the moon, keeping watch over something important to Reginald that he did not know the specifics of.
After an incident during the mission, Reginald could only save Luther by injecting him with DNA from a gorilla—hence his ape-like proportions. Parts of him are also covered in ape hair, though that is not shown as often as his bulky figure.
At the end of Season 3, the Hargreeves, Sparrow Ben, and Lila find themselves in a reset universe and stripped of their powers. For an unknown reason, this reverted Luther's gorilla body into what it would be without the gorilla DNA — it could result from the lost powers. Still, the ape features were never a result of Luther's powers but rather of Reginald injecting him with gorilla DNA.
The confusion grows, though, when Luther drinks the Marigold substance (against his will) and regains his powers. He wakes up with his super strength and endurance intact and with the return to his gorilla body, despite not being connected with his Marigold-given powers.
Unfortunately, given that the show's fourth season is its last, this confusing set of events will likely remain unexplained or up to fan interpretation indefinitely.
All four seasons of The Umbrella Academy are streaming on Netflix.
Read more about The Umbrella Academy on The Direct:
What Happened to Sloane In Umbrella Academy Season 4, Explained
What Are Lila's Powers In Umbrella Academy Show?
Netflix's CEO Wanted Umbrella Academy to Last More Seasons Than It Did (Exclusive)
Gillian Blum has been a writer at The Direct since 2022, reporting primarily from New York City. Though she covers news from across the entertainment industry, Gillian has a particular focus on Marvel and DC, including comics, movies, and television shows. She also commonly reports on Percy Jackson, Invincible, and other similar franchises.
