Warning: spoilers ahead forThe Umbrella Academyseason 4.
Summary
Spider-Man meetsThe Umbrella Academy, as Netflix’s quirky superhero series makes Tom Holland canon, albeit with a curiously retro twist.The Umbrella Academy’s final season primarily takes place within the reset universe created by Sir Reginald and Allison Hargreeves at the end of season 3, and is just one of manyUmbrella Academytimelinesthat exist within the show’s fictional multiverse. When season 4 begins, artifacts from those alternate realities start bleeding over, andJean & Gene Thibedeau of the Keepersare spilling blood to collect them.
One such artifact is a pair of VHS tapes for a fictional movie called “Love On Loan 2.” One version of the tape stars Allison Hargreeves and features Emmy Raver-Lampman’s character on the front cover, while the second features a totally different actress, highlighting the difference between timelines. Curiously, the second lead actor in both versions of “Love On Loan 2” is listed as “Tom Holland,” bringing the MCU’s Peter Parker actor into officialThe Umbrella Academycanon.
The Umbrella Academy Season 4 Ending Explained
The Umbrella Academy has ended with its fourth season, which saw the final apocalypse and some shocking reveals that changed the team’s lives.
Tom Holland Is Canon In The Umbrella Academy’s Universe
Allison Hargreeves Knows The Man Behind Peter Parker
Tom Holland isn’t an especially common name, andit seems highly unlikely thatThe Umbrella Academy’s art department would call their unseen actor “Tom Holland” at randomwithout making a mental connection to the real-life actor. The reference cannot, therefore, be dismissed as mere coincidence, meaning one version ofThe Umbrella Academy’s timelineincludes MCU actor Tom Holland starring opposite Allison Hargreeves in a low-budget romantic comedy.
Tom Holland must have taken a very different career path, asThe Umbrella Academyhas never given any indication that the Marvel and DC companies are part of its own universe.
The Umbrella Academyseason 4 referencing Tom Holland isn’t typical of the Netflix show, which is set within a semi-fantastical, alternate late-2010s Earth. The Hargreeves siblings rarely acknowledge celebrities from modern pop culture, usually mentioning more traditional, historical figures like John F. Kennedy instead.
Even stranger is thatThe Umbrella Academy’s version of Tom Holland must have taken a very different career path, as the show has never given any indication that Marvel and DC companies are part of its own universe. The Hargreeves siblings themselves were comic book superheroes with action figures and celebrity status, not the likes of Spider-Man and Captain America. Consequently, Tom Holland’s big break in the MCU wouldn’t have happened inThe Umbrella Academy’s reality - perhaps explaining why the actor is stuck doing movies like “Love On Loan 2.”
Why Love On Loan 2 Is On VHS
No Tom Holland Movie Should Release On VHS, Right?
The offbeat twist toThe Umbrella Academyseason 4’s Tom Holland reference is that “Love On Loan 2” hit shelves as a VHS tape, not a DVD or Blu-Ray. Tom Holland’s movie career began in the 2010s, long after the VHS had faded from the mainstream, and that detail may, at a glance, suggest the “Tom Holland” who starred alongside Allison was a totally different actor.
Crucially, however,the front cover of “Love On Loan 2” clearly shows Allison as an adult, which means the fictional movie sequel must have released during the 2010s, otherwise Allison - who was born in 1989 - would look noticeably younger. By that logic, the Tom Holland mentioned on the VHS cover could indeed be the real-world MCU star.
While it is strange that a fictional movie supposedly released in the 2010s has a VHS tape, the anachronism works forThe Umbrella Academy. Most aspects of the show’s original timeline mirror our own world, butThe Umbrella Academyoccupies a deliberately retro bubble. Throughout the entirety of season 1, for example,The Umbrella Academyincluded no cellphones, relying only on phone booths, landlines, and answering machines. It makes perfect sense, therefore, that a movie Allison and Tom Holland starred in would release on VHS inThe Umbrella Academy, not more recent formats like DVD, Blu-Ray, or streaming.
The Umbrella Academy
The Umbrella Academy is based on the comic book of the same name created by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá. The Hargreeves — collectively known as The Umbrella Academy — were born with superpowers, and their adoptive father utilized their abilities. However, as they grew older, the siblings grew apart as they dealt with their trauma. They are brought back together after their father dies and Five returns from the future with grave news: The world will end, and The Umbrella Academy has to stop it before it happens.
