Untamedis a new Netflix series that might make you think twice about visiting one of the country’s most beloved natural spaces. Set in Yosemite National Park,Untamedfollows a federal agent tasked with investigating the death of a woman, only to discover that the wilderness runs on a very different set of rules. The show was created byMark L. Smith (The Revenant, Twisters)and Elle Smith (The Marsh King’s Daughter).
The unsettling events of Netflix’s potentialTrue Detectivereplacementare brought to life by an impressive cast led by Eric Bana (Dirty John) as investigative agent Kyle Turner. It also features Lily Santiago (La Brea) as rookie park ranger Naya Vasquez and Wilson Bethel (Daredevil: Born Again, Hart of Dixie) as former Army Ranger Shane Maguire. Together, the trio searches for clues in a case that looks set to lead to something more nefarious than they could have imagined.
ScreenRant’s Joe Deckelmeier interviewed Eric Bana, Lily Santiago, and Wilson Bethel about their work inUntamed.The actors reflected on the personalities and driving motivations behind their characters, and hinted at twists and turns that give the series new depth upon a re-watch. Plus, Bethel teased his return as Bullseye alongside characters likeJessica Jones inDaredevil: Born Againseason 2.
The Netflix Cast Takes Us Inside The Characters Of Untamed
Stars Reflect On Kyle’s Past Trauma, Naya’s Newness & Shane’s Duality
The man at the heart ofUntamed, Eric Bana’s Kyle Turner, is haunted even before the start of the season. The character has lost his son, an event which Bana believes has thrown him even further into his work.“That’s really his therapy,”the actor said.“He’s super professional, so I think most of it is [him] trying to do the job as best he can.”
“I think his therapy is just trying to be the best investigator possible.”
“But obviously,”Bana continued,“we learned about his own trauma, and that’s always going to be somewhat triggering for him, but [that’s] more so through the eyes of the audience rather than how he’s affected in terms of his interplay with other characters.”
For Lily Santiago, playing Naya came, in some ways, as naturally as experiencing the world herself.“I’m from a city, and Naya is from a city,”she shared, adding that“it was such a gift as an actor.”Being from a city may seem like a small thing, but really, Naya and Santiago experienced something very similar in transitioning to the landscape of Yosemite.
“I was learning alongside Naya. While she’s learning how to ride a horse or navigate mountainous terrain, I also was doing those things.”
“I’m folding in her background and she has different fears than I have,”Santiago clarified,“but it was also kind of beautifully simple in that I got to appreciate it all alongside her.”That connection did extend to fears, though, with Santiago referencing scenes throughout the series in which“my body completely lost track of the fact that this was pretend.It got really scary sometimes.”
Wilson Bethel’s Shane Maguire is, in his words,“Somebody who lives in a very isolated way in the middle of the f***ing woods,”and who is definitely“deadly, just straight up,”with a“very unique-to-himself moral code.”But he’s not just a loner, Bethel said:“He chooses when he wants a hit of the other part of the world. He is also very comfortable coming out of the woods and going to a bar for a night and maybe getting a little drunk and maybe seeing if he can find a woman to cozy up with.”
“I don’t think he sees any issue with that kind of duality.”
Ultimately, Bethel believes that Maguire“sees himself as an apex predator,” adding, “this is a guy who could shoot you dead, or shoot a deer dead, from 500 yards away–maybe further–and do it easily. If you have that kind of power in your hand, if you have the kind of power to live on your own in the wild for months at a time, I think you start to view yourself as pretty powerful. And, in nature, the most powerful things are predators.”
Eric Bana Explains How Kyle Turner Fits Into The World Of Untamed
Untamed Stars Break Down Its Key Relationships
One of the key relationships inUntamedis that between Kyle Turner and his green associate Naya.“I think it’s really special,”Bana said of their relationship, despite the fact that Kyle is initially unwilling to work with a new partner.“He’s so rude to her at the beginning,”he said,“and you just have to lean into that as an actor and know that there’s going to be this interplay … there’s a kind of paternal instinct both ways, actually. Not just from Kyle to Naya, but back the other way as well.”
Santiago echoed that sentiment, also citing a“paternal aspect”,and saying,“I think [Kyle] really cares about everyone being okay, but he doesn’t like people to know that. She cares about the same thing, but she’s happy to share that.”
The actor also teased the development of the relationship between her character and Kyle.“I love their [initial] relationship, which, I think, feeds into the buddy cop dynamic. She’s sort of like this annoying fly that won’t go away. He’s like, ‘Leave me alone,’ and she’s like, ‘I’ve got orders to be here, so you’re going to have to put up with me.’ She’s just very persistent and stubborn, and he’s very stubborn.”But, Santiago said,“as they start to realize the similarities that they have … they really can blossom into this partnership.”
Wilson Bethel weighed in on his character’s relationship with Kyle as well, promising a“really fascinating interplay”between the two.“I think the way that [Shane] interacts with Kyle is based not only on this shared history they have over this pivotal event in both of their lives, but that they view that event very differently.Kyle has been torn up about this thing, and it’s haunted him for life. It ruined his marriage, et cetera, whereas for Shane, it had all the moral logic of complete black and white. He has no regrets about it.”
“I think that Shane views Kyle as kind of pathetic.”
Bethel also mentioned a growing“antagonism between the two characters”, who he described as“very capable, strong, [and] potentially deadly,”teasing a potentially explosive animosity between the old acquaintances.
Wilson Bethel Hypes Up Bullseye’s Return In Daredevil: Born Again Season 2
“I Think It’s Legitimately Going To Blow People’s Minds”
After his appearance in Netflix’s hitDaredevilseries, Wilson Bethel had the opportunity to return as Benjamin ‘Dex’ Poindexter, aka Bullseye, in the Marvel Studios continuationDaredevil: Born Again.Bethel will also appear in season 2, which he revealed“just wrapped shooting two or three days ago.”He continued to discuss the show, saying,“I am so incredibly proud of the work we did on this new season. I think it’s legitimately going to blow people’s minds.”
“For fans of Bullseye and the Dex character,”he added,“I get to do some things that are completely new and novel and insane and crazy.I think some of the best work I’ve done on Daredevil, and maybe on any show, will be out in this new season.I’m very excited for people to see it. I’m thrilled, man. It’s one of the jobs that I’m most proud of in my career, so I can’t wait for people to share in it.”
