Aubrey Joseph and Olivia Holt of Marvel’s CLOAK & DAGGER were at San Diego Comic-Con to talk about the newest Freeform series.
We got a chance to sit down with Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger stars Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph as they talk all things cloak-ish and dagger-ish. First off, we start with the subject of switching the backgrounds of the two main characters:
“It’s important for people to see that these stereotypes that we have is not what every single race goes through, but it was also good to see a strong black family together, a black family that wanted more for their son and did everything that they could to ensure they escape that systematic oppression, because you could be rich, but you’re still black at the end of the day and you’re still going to be treated the way that you’re treated in society,” said Aubrey Joseph. “It was perfect to see that black family in a different light.”
An interviewer mentioned the scene where they argue about race and asked how it was playing that scene out, which they both looked at each other, smiling, before answering:
“It was a very emotional day. Both Aubrey and I feel very strongly about these two characters, especially about that scene,” said Olivia. “We have these two groups of people who have been dehumanized and minimized. We have black culture that’s been dehumanized. And we have these females who have been so minimized for so long. So, what’re we doing? Why are we not making moves and making a difference? This is a show that’s progressive. We want to change the game, and we want to start a conversation about what’s actually happening in society. So yeah, we’re a superhero show that loves to kick ass, but we’re also a show that wants to push that forward.”
Of course, we want to know about the romantic side of the duo and if Ty and Tandy’s relationship is ever going to go that route as it does in the comics. Both seem to agree that friendship comes first, which is what’s being explored right now:
“For our series, I think it makes sense for us to really focus on something platonically first. It’ll make us appreciate them so much more as individuals. They’re so lost already as individuals. The fact that they’re really starting to appreciate and respect each other as humans and sort of going through this journey together, I think it’s something that we want to see first before anything else,” said Holt. “I think it could be nice in the future to see something romantically happen, but I think it’s cool to see them going through their own relationships.”
As far as favorite scenes they’ve worked on together, they seem to have great fun all around, so they can’t really pinpoint what their favorites are so far, except that they have fun with the stunts.
“A lot of our stunts have been fun together. The show is very emotional, so most days Aubrey and I are on opposite sides of the set, getting into our own headspace. But for the stunts, it’s super fun. We have a really great time with it. We have an awesome stunt team and special effects group who really help us out,” explained Olivia.
As far as training, they both agreed they don’t have a lot of training to deal with, so maybe as the show goes further on in seasons, they’ll say differently.
Olivia then got to talk about her character’s relationship with Mina Hess, played by Ally Maki:
“It’s so unique and so special. It’s very rare that we see a lot of female friendships in television and the fact that Tandy and Mina both went through something similar on the same night and have been struggling with it for years,” said Olivia. “They can sort of bond over that. Now that Tandy isn’t being a manipulative little girl. I think it’s important for us to see something like that. They’re both so intelligent in so many ways. It’s nice to see two girls in a swamp talking about science.”
Aubrey adds in his character’s relationship woes on the show:
“I feel like anytime Tyrone actually gets something that he looks up to or connects with, they…get killed,” explains Joseph. “And he sees it. It’s like, am I ever going to find that one person? I can’t even hug Tandy, you know what I mean? And because of what happened (with his older brother), his parents try to protect him way more than they actually give him love. He’s just looking for that love. It’s very cool that he met Tandy at this time in his life.”
Cloak & Dagger is currently airing its first season on Thursdays at 8pm and has been renewed for a second season on Freeform.