Mary J. Blige Joins the Cast of Gerard Way’s Netflix Series Umbrella Academy

Mary J. Blige is joining the cast of Gerard Way’s The Umbrella Academy, per The Fader.

Netflix announced last summer that they would be adapt former My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way’s Eisner-winning graphic novel into a live-action series. Umbrella Academy explored five dysfunctional superhero siblings investigating their father’s death.

Blige joins an already-stellar cast that includes Ellen Page, Tom Hopper and Emmy Raver-Lampman. The character Blige is set to play is a hitwoman named Cha-Cha, described as a “ruthless and unorthodox hitwoman who travels through time to kill assigned targets.”

The show’s 10-episode first season is expected to premiere in 2018, with Way serving as a co-executive producer on the project.

This marks Blige’s first major role in a television series after building a resume of guest-starring roles on shows like How to Get Away with Murder, Empire and Black-ish. In addition to this role, Blige is fresh off of two Oscar nominations for another Netflix production, Mudbound. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song for “Mighty River,” making history by becoming the first African-American woman to receive two Oscar noms in one year.