Avery Kelley 
The “Villains” are back and better than ever!! Season 2 of Disney Channel’s newest series “The Villains of Valley View” has returned with some twists and turns.
We had the opportunity to talk to actresses Isabella Pappas and Kayden Mueller-Janssen about their roles in the series, what we can expect for the new season, and a few of their own favorite villains that may or may not have inspired their characters.
Pappas and Mueller-Janssen play the roles of best friends Amy “Havoc” and Hartley in the series. Although the two play besties on-screen, their roles as best friends continue to play out in real life. According to Pappas, “It’s the same dynamic, almost with Hartley and Amy. I would say just a little less crazy, which I think helps us a lot in episodes because it’s so easy to act together.” The two quickly became fast friends after booking the show together and constantly hanging out on and off set. Similar to their character’s personalities being like fire and ice, their authentic friendship with each other is also living proof of opposites attracting. “I feel like it’s almost the same. It’s like flip-flopped. Like we always say how she [Isabella] is like Hartley, and I’m [Kayden] like, Amy,” says Mueller-Janssen. “You know, less extreme superpowers. And I’m not going around screaming at people’s faces right? So we’re obviously different. But in a sense the same.”
And what’s a best friend without a few disagreements? At the end of season 1 of the show, we were left with a MAJOR cliffhanger. Pappas’ character Amy is faced with a tough decision: To become a leader or leave the people she loves. Pappas shares, “There are a lot of challenges in terms of family. Especially with Amy and Hartley’s relationship. Obviously, the season starts with my character having to make a really big decision about whether or not she wants to be the leader of the villains, or, you know, stay with her best friend. …I think that creates a lot of conflict and tension, and it’s really interesting to see how that plays out.” With a new season, comes even greater stakes as well. Mueller-Janssen tells us, “I feel like everything’s just heightened and elevated… There are new characters, there’s some drama, new fights like …the tension is real.”
As Pappas and Kayden Mueller-Janssen’s characters evolve over the course of season 2, so did they. And some of their all-time favorite villains helped them realize that.
One of the biggest inspirations for Pappas was Marvel’s Wanda Maximoff, AKA Scarlet Witch. “Right before we filmed the pilot, I watched ‘Wandavision,’ and I remember thinking… I want to bring elements of this character to Amy. …She doesn’t really know whether she wants to be good or bad… and it elevated what the superhero and supervillain can be.”
A personal favorite for Mueller-Janssen, is Disney’s Maleficent. “I feel like she’s [Maleficent] even the same as Amy’s character… like the fact that they have this opportunity to finally show what it’s like to be for villains. They have this reputation like they’re bad. They never have a chance to be good people through that. That’s not true…You have the opportunity to become a better person.”
And that’s exactly what the show is about. Whether you have good, bad, (or very bad) tendencies, there’s always room for improvement; room for change, and evolution as long as you give yourself a chance. And a few superpowers here and there.
Make sure to check out “The Villains of Valley View” season 2 now on the Disney Channel, streaming next day on Disney+.
By Avery Kelley
Instagram: @askaveryk / X: @averykels
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