One important part of Thunderbird’s backstory on The Gifted has been confirmed, and it’s a piece that could have major repercussions for the show going forward.
Videos by ComicBook.com
ComicBook.com spoke to The Gifted stars Blair Redford, who plays Thunderbird, and Sean Teale, who plays Eclipse, about how the show’s family theme relates to their characters, which brought up the subject of Thunderbird’s long-lost brother.
“The mutant group is their family,” Redford said.
“Eclipse has been searching for that for a long time,” Teale added. “I think [Thunderbid’s] got a long-lost brother. Lorna Dane doesn’t have her father, Magneto because he’s too expensive.”
X-Men fans may remember that Thunderbird does have a brother, James Proudstar, who goes by the mutant name Warpath. The character appeared in X-Men: Days of Future Past as portrayed by Booboo Stewart.
Redford confirmed to ComicBook.com that this long-lost brother is a reference to Warpath, though it was unsure if James’ existence would ever amount to more than backstory for his character.
“Yes, it would be, and time will tell if we investigate that,” Redford said.
As for Magneto, despite the high price tag that may come with the character, Emma Dumont has explained to ComicBook.com in a separate interview how Polaris’ father’s presence will be felt in upcoming episodes of The Gifted.
Teale went on to explain more about how the traditional family unit and the found family of the mutant community blend in The Gifted.
“And we will have a child, me and Polaris,” Teale said. “So really they’re either searching for or formed together this family. So it really is the merging of two together. Ours is a little bit more unconventional, a little bit quirkier, but nonetheless just as much a family, so the collision of these two creates a lot of friction, creates a lot of fractures, but also families help each other and teach each other and integrate even more, although we do have the all-American Strucker family. This is another family that people won’t feel is out of place, hopefully, and that will speak to them a lot because it’s so diverse. We have Jamie Chung, and Blair and I have different descents as well, and Lorna as well, so its quite fun that we all get to come together and be that close and that loved.”
Fans will see this unconventional family unit through one of its darkest hours in tonight’s midseason finale.
The Gifted airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Fox.
