How ‘Scott Pilgrim Takes Off’ added a new bisexual twist

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off in a new queer way.

Netflix’s latest animated creation launched on November 17 creating a new way to view titular character Scott Pilgrim’s story, while bringing plenty of nostalgia with it. While many fans expected an animated revival of the cult classic film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, plenty were pleasantly surprised by some of its changes. 

For starters, the series doesn’t actually stick to the source material. In the film, Scott (Michael Cera) has to battle Ramona Flowers’ (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) seven evil exes in order to date her. 

Those exes include Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha), Lucas Lee (Chris Evans), Todd Ingram (Brandon Routh), Roxie Richter (Mae Whitman), Kyle & Ken Katayanagi (Julian Cihi), and Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzmann). 

While Scott fought all of these exes in the film, in the new anime, he loses, seemingly dies, and it changes the course of everyone’s lives – exes included. So while Ramona investigates Scott’s death, her ex Todd, a psychic-powered bass player fueled by veganism, begins an affair with Scott’s gay friend and roommate, Wallace (Kieran Culkin) and discovers he’s bisexual.

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Bi gasp. We already had bisexual representation through Ramona and Roxie’s relationship and now Todd joins the roster. 

Routh, who voices Todd, couldn’t be happier with the changes Scott Pilgrim Takes Off adopts. 

“The whole message of the whole show is be open and just let love be love and joy and make music,” Routh said. “I’m all about it. It’s really fun.”

Routh had to keep the change under wraps for months, but sees Todd and Wallace’s queer storyline as a new normal within content and society – one that shouldn’t cause any surprise.

“We’re not even calling attention to it. People are people having relationships, and it started a little while back — the trend — and I see it more and more especially with the younger creators making content, and even us old guys, speaking of [Scott Pilgrim showrunners] BenDavid Grabinski and Bryan Lee O’Malley.” Routh said. “I love that we’re living in a world now where for most of us, it is just life, and it is just fine. I’m happy to participate in that way.”

You can check out Todd and Wallace’s romance and the rest of the Scott Pilgrim Takes Off crew on Netflix.