Get to know the characters and cameos of 'Zoolander 2'

No, you're not taking crazy pills — Derek and Hansel are back on the runway at last in Zoolander 2, a sequel to the 2001 fashion comedy (in theaters Friday). Set more than a decade later, the ex-male models (Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson) have long abandoned their haute-couture careers, but are thrust back into their designer duds when duty calls. USA TODAY gets to know the movie's new characters, as well as one familiar face who returns with more dastardly plans than ever:

Valentina Valencia (Penélope Cruz)

Valentina is a special agent (and former swimsuit model) who teams with Derek and Hansel to expose an assassination plot targeting the world's most beautiful people. Knowing that the film would be a European caper of sorts, Stiller wrote the role with Cruz in mind. "She is a classic beauty and reminds me of these great film stars like Sophia Loren, who had this assertiveness and sexuality, but they're unaware of it," he says.

Mugatu (Will Ferrell)

In the first Zoolander, Mugatu is imprisoned for the attempted assassination of the prime minister of Malaysia, only to come back stronger in the sequel with a plot for fashion domination. When Derek finds the outrageous designer midway through the movie, Mugatu appears to be buff, tattooed and hardened by his decade behind bars — although, in a scene inspired by a Twilight Zone episode called The Howling Man, that is not actually the case. "It was this weird sort of inspiration of Mugatu taking off his mask and his clothes and then his muscles," Stiller says. "(He) turned into this Max Cady-like man intent on revenge," a la Cape Fear.

Alexanya Atoz (Kristen Wiig)

The most striking addition to Zoolander's world is Mugatu's accomplice Alexanya, whose innumerable plastic surgeries and procedures have rendered her barely intelligible. "It's an amalgam of people in the fashion world and what people do to try and stay young," Stiller says. Applying Wiig's heavy makeup and prosthetics took 3½ hours each day, creating a look that "wasn't so crazy that it was grotesque," but still "beautiful in her own weird way." For Wilson, "just doing the scenes with her, it wasn't so much acting. You really are like, 'What is she saying?' "

All (Benedict Cumberbatch)

Derek and Hansel attempt to make a comeback, only to find that they've been replaced by a younger and hotter model named All, an androgynous, specter-like glamazon. "Benedict mentioned that he was a fan of the first Zoolander," Stiller says. "He said, 'You know, if there's anything in the second one ...' He is such an interesting, unique presence, and a guy who does have a sense of humor, so he wanted to have a little fun, too." The character isn't without controversy: LGBT activists have criticized the portrayal as a "cartoonish mockery of androgyne/trans/non-binary individuals."

Justin Bieber (himself)

The pop prince gets gunned down by assassins, only to snap a selfie and meticulously select an Instagram filter before bidding, "Peace out, world."  In casting Bieber, "there was excitement (on the set) just because he is kind of a lightning rod," Wilson says. Adds Stiller: "He was really professional and focused on trying to do a good job. I had a good time working with him."