Exclusive Interview
Inside Rhage & Mary’s Road to Romance in ‘The Black Dagger Brotherhood’ Season 2
The wait for The Black Dagger Brotherhood Season 2 is almost over. On October 29, the Passionflix series will return, shifting focus to Rhage (Alexander Cubis) and Mary’s (Audrey Hare) love story. In J.R. Ward’s Lover Eternal, which the season is based on, the charismatic (but lethal) Rhage is instantly captivated by the resilient human Mary.
Finding the perfect Mary for Rhage was essential for The Black Dagger Brotherhood team. Looking back at the audition process, director and Passionflix CEO Tosca Musk told Swooon that Hare stood out from the jump. “She’s the only one that we loved. The only one that we loved. She captured the role of Mary so perfectly,” Musk said.
Hare and Cubis had to do a chemistry test via Zoom, and the scene chosen is a fan-favorite: the TGI Friday’s date scene. The costars didn’t meet in person until just before filming began. “He was doing some stunt training, and I was doing a costume fitting, and he basically just welcomed me into the Brotherhood and said it’s a lot of male energy, so get ready,” Hare revealed.
Sara Jaye Weiss
On the surface, Rhage and Mary seem like polar opposites, but they are exactly what the other needs. “I think people really relate to wanting to find a partner that accepts you for your whole self, including whatever you might be hiding from the rest of the world or the the battles or the demons that you might be dealing with,” Cubis said. “It’s really rare to find that person. And people, I think, want that in their own lives. J.R. and Tosca have created a world and a relationship that showcases that with sincerity and with heart.”
Hare noted that Mary helps Rhage bring “out this acceptance of himself” and realize in Rhage “he is worthy of love, unconditional love specifically, regardless of this curse that’s been placed on him.”
Cubis added, “Every good woman teaches their man, I think, to be a better partner and be a better man, and Mary helps Rhage be that.”
Sara Jaye Weiss
Ahead of Season 2, Ward was able to watch a first cut of the upcoming episodes. She would excitedly share her reactions in Instagram videos. Her enthusiasm stems from how grateful she is to have teamed up with Passionflix to bring her beloved books to the screen.
“I also think that’s a testament for why I want to be with Passionflix is because Passionflix is about the book,” Ward said. “I think for people like me who are authors who have fandoms and readers that are so committed to a long-running series, I knew that I had to get it right. I think Passionflix does such a service to authors and to readers because they’re not trying to use it as a springboard, which is all fine and good for other things, but my readers want to see what the actual book is. She’s the one who brings it to life and all of Passionflix I can’t tell you how many times my readers and fans have come up and said, ‘Oh, you did the right thing going Passionflix.'”
The Black Dagger Brotherhood, Season 2, October 29, Passionflix
