The new apocalyptic sci-fi drama Y: The Last Man has come a long way on television, with the original comic book series based on its debut almost two decades ago followed by numerous failed attempts to portray the story on screen.

Now, finally, fans can watch the live-action version of the story via FX or Disney Plus – but showrunner Eliza Clark has now revealed that the years of development have required major changes to the story, which revolves around a mysterious plague that kills all cisgender men on Earth except one.

Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra, who created the comics, were incredibly generous saying ‘We did that 20 years ago and we’re so glad you updated it, so grab the ball and run. with “” said Clark RadioTimes.com and other press.

“I was really grateful to them. I’ve loved comics for ten years and I’m a huge fan so I didn’t want to stray from the source material altogether. I think the show really pays homage to the comics but it was important for me to update them.

This most important difference? The inclusion in the series of trans men, who also survive the apocalypse and find themselves in the limelight (compared to a more fleeting treatment in the comics), as well as a more nuanced perspective on the genre in its together.

“One of the biggest differences is that we’ve really updated the understanding of gender in the story,” Clark told us.

“I think we make it clear at the start and often in the show that Yorick isn’t the last man because a lot of men survived, but he’s the last person with the Y chromosome.

“The diversity, variety and range of genres is what makes this world so rich and interesting, and that’s part of the tragedy of what’s going on. Part of what the characters are trying to do is bring back that biodiversity. “

She added, “I think the show is about identity and how our identities are formed from internal and external forces. We talk a lot about how oppressive systems conspire to create identity and how things like white supremacy, patriarchy, capitalism, and cis heteronormativity are all part of the air we breathe and of our identity in a way we don’t have. even know.

“So immediately after this event part of what we’re saying with the show is that women stand up for patriarchy, women stand up for white supremacy, that these systems don’t go away just because everyone with a Y chromosome dies.” .

“Ultimately, however, I think the show is optimistic about the ability of human beings to change and that change is necessary, messy, and has peaks and valleys, but ultimately it is possible.”

Y: The Last Man arrives on Disney Plus UK starting Wednesday, September 22, with new episodes on Wednesdays thereafter. To find out more, check out our science fiction page or our full TV guide.