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Netflix finally dropped the full-length trailer for The Umbrella Academy Season 3, and fans actually see Number Five (Aiden Gallagher) wearing something other than his school uniform. So far in the series, Five only dons his old uniforms from his younger years despite actually being somewhere in his fifties. However, season 3 looks to change that.

Why Number Five is always in uniform in ‘The Umbrella Academy’

When we first meet Five in The Umbrella Academy Season 1, he returns from the future as a 58-year-old man. The only problem is that he’s stuck in a 13-year-old’s body. Five’s superpower involves time travel, but he hasn’t perfected it yet, and his miscalculation led to his predicament. 

Gallagher sat down with Collider in August 2020 and gave his own interpretation of why he’s always in uniform. 

“The way I always imagine it in my mind is that Five hasn’t had the time to visit a tailor. He’s thrust around from event to event, for his entire life, and his only goal is to survive, get back to his family, and save the world. He’s never had time to figure out who he is as a person, and the costume is a good metaphor for that. It’s the salt in the wound for Five, being in his younger self now. This is the only thing that fits him, and there’s no time to actually get a proper suit or anything. You’ll probably see the costume change, if Five ever gets the chance to slow down.”

Aiden Gallagher via Collider

The Umbrella Academy Season 3 trailer doesn’t show Five slowing down, but it does feature him in different clothes. Plus, there’s a practical reason behind keeping Gallagher in that uniform as well.

'The Umbrella Academy' Season 3 character Number Five is no longer in his uniform, seen here in the back seat of a car in a production still.
Aidan Gallagher as Number Five in ‘The Umbrella Academy’ | Cr. Courtesy of Netflix

Aiden Gallagher’s actual age makes the uniform work

As many fans saw with Stranger Things Season 4, the actors’ ages come into play with their characters. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic delayed filming for Stranger Things. During that time, the actors greatly surpassed the ages of their characters. Many wondered how the showrunners would handle the kids’ ages. This is partially why Five has stayed in uniform so far in the series.

The costume designers behind The Umbrella Academy face a similar challenge with Gallagher’s character. According to Looper, the schoolboy uniform works as a way for audiences to see Five in a 13-year-old’s body. 

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‘The Umbrella Academy’ Season 3 trailer gives fans a glimpse at some of the troubles the Hargreeves face in the upcoming season

When the Hargreeves returned to the present-day in the season 2 finale, they accidentally created a separate timeline. Reginald Hargreeves adopted a different set of children with superpowers he calls The Sparrow Academy in this alternate world. On top of that, the Hargreeves return also created something called a “cuckoo blitz.” This has the potential to erase human existence. While the Sparrows and The Umbrella Academy members might come to blows at first, it looks like they’re forced to team up in order to save the world once again.

The Umbrella Academy Season 3 premieres exclusively on Netflix on June 22, 2022. 

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