SDCC 2019 Panel Recap: Carnival Row

Carnival Row will be expanding Amazon Original's ever-growing list of titles this fall, and San Diego Comic-Con is promoting the series in a big way. The brand is bringing the show for a massive panel, and ComicBook.com has the breakdown below for you.

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Tim Kash steps in to begin the panel. Then the special guests file in one by one: Marc Guggenheim, Travis Beacham, Orlando Bloom, Cara Delevingne, Tamzin Merchant, David Gyasi.

A clip is shown of Carnival Row which highlights how big the series is. As Bloom said, he is interested in tackling this expansive fantasy because it is both crime noir but also fantastical. Given his Lord of the Rings background, he is always ready to explore these stories. The actor also says his character Rycroft is a very empathetic man with a complex history he's ready to pursue.

Delevingne went on to discuss how intricate and gorgeous the prosthetics of the show are. She is able to don wings which are so intricately crafted. Beacham steps in to say these limbs are both half and half - real and CGI. The biggest challenge was discovering what the wings do when they are not being used, so they wanted to make the wings feel very real.

When Delevingne is asked about her character Vignette, she says the fae is an amazing character. She has lost a lot but manages to keep going and get up. She is fighting for love, and she is the main love interest of Rycroft. Calling her a warrior, Delevingne said nothing knocks Vignette down.

Bloom and Delevingne are asked how they create their chemistry, and both agree the writing really did well. It helps inform them, and their backstory really makes it all the more impressive.

Continuing, Beacham went on to say he first came up with the idea for Carnival Row in writing school. It wound up being the script which started his career and got great reception in the industry. However, it languished in developmental hell because it had no intellectual property behind it. It was 4-5 years ago when Legendary picked it up as a TV series, and that was exciting for Beacham. He says he can only see it as a TV series now as opposed to a feature film.

Speaking up, Guggenheim says Bloom and Delevingne did all of their own stunts without complaint. It was all done with such good humor and grace. When asked how they keep focus, Delevingne said comraderie is what does it, but they had fun moments together. Even when the water was freezing cold or minus six degrees, they are able to dig in deep for performances but have fun at other times.

Talking about her character, Merchant talks about Imogen and discusses the privileged character. The heroine has to keep herself constrained because she is expected to act a certain way by society. A clip is then introduced of Imogen and her brother Ezra meeting their new neighbor.

Next, Gyasi is asked to discuss his character. The character is a centaur named Agreus. The actor says there is so much to say about the character. He may be a limited member of society because he is a centaur, but he is able to move into one of the most posh neighborhoods in the biggest house. To prepare, he would workout everyday to Jay-Z's 4:44 album to ramp him up.

Talking about the show's social issues, Guggenheim says part of this world includes a discussion of racism, classism, sexism, and more. The show looks at all the ways these issues can be seen in society, but Beacham says it is a Dickensian story as we visit the upper- and lower-classes. Like Imogen may be in a privelaged class, but she is still held by constraints because she is a woman and more.

As the panel continues, the cast discusses how this story is still so relevant with refugee crisis. Gyasi was shocked at how it continues to make sense, but Bloom says it helps educate audiences. The world they see these issues affecting is not their own, so they can absorb it without as many biases.

So, will you be watching this series? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!