TV Mary J. Blige joins The Umbrella Academy adaptation at Netflix By Dana Schwartz Dana Schwartz Dana Schwartz is a former correspondent at Entertainment Weekly. She left EW in 2019. EW's editorial guidelines Published on February 12, 2018 03:13PM EST Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic If you’ve been waiting to see Mary J. Blige as a sadistic, time-traveling assassin in a goth, alternate reality comic adaptation, your time has finally come: the nine-time Grammy winner and two-time Academy Award nominee is joining Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy as Cha-Cha, a “ruthless and unorthodox hitwoman who travels through time to kill assigned targets.” The Umbrella Academy, executive produced by showrunner Steve Blackman (Fargo, Altered Carbon) is based on the comic series by Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance. Published by Dark Horse Comics and illustrated by Gabriel Bá, The Umbrella Academy takes place in an alternate reality where the JFK assassination never occurred. The story follows a team of super-powered children adopted by the extraterrestrial Sir Reginald Hargreeves who come together as adults after their adoptive father’s death. In addition to Blige, the live-action Netflix series will also star Ellen Page, as Vanya “The White Violin” Hargreeves. Way will executive produce. Close