Academy Award nominee and musician Mary J. Blige will be joining the cast of Umbrella Academy. Blige will be playing the role of Cha-Cha according to The Hollywood Reporter. In the comics, Cha-Cha is one half of a pair of sadistic time-traveling assassins who are employed by Temps Aeternalis to kill Number Five. The role of Hazel has not yet been cast.
The show based on Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba's popular comics began production in January (see “'Y: The Last Man' TV Series News, 'Black Lightning' Ratings, 'The Tick' Renewed, 'Umbrella Academy' Filming, 'Snowpiercer' Greenlit, Gillian Anderson Off Geek Shows”). Blige, who is nominated for two Oscars for her work in Mudbound, joins Ellen Page, Tom Hopper, Robert Sheehan, Emmy Raver-Lampman, David Castaneda, and Aidan Gallagher on the 10-episode Netflix series (see “Bryan Fuller Exits 'American Gods,' 'Umbrella Academy,' 'Scalped,' 'MST3K,' 'Black Lightning' Debut”).