A major new comic book adaptation just landed on Netflix this Wednesday, Aug. 16, but you’d be forgiven for not realizing that as the streamer almost seems reluctant to let people know it’s out. The platform once had big plans for its Millarworld franchise, based on the comics universe from creator Mark Millar Netflix acquired back in 2017, but things stalled in a big way once 2021’s Jupiter’s Legacy served as an embarrassing launch point. And yet the story now continues in The Chosen One.
You’d think a series based on a comic called American Jesus, about a teenage boy who discovers he possesses the powers of Jesus Christ, would garner attention in some shape or form, but strangely Netflix has kept this show on the back-burner, with only a single teaser trailer released a month ago. With the streamer failing to properly promote its own production, then, Millar has taken things into his own hands by not-so-subtly prodding his fans to seek out the show on social media.
In his bit of grass-roots promotion, Millar — best known for creating the likes of Kick-Ass and Kingsman — also pleads with those who are tuning in not to spoil the apparently shocking developments that occur in the final three episodes of the six-part season, which has the clever secondary effect of making those not turning in want to see what all the fuss is about. And given that the show has flown so under the radar that it doesn’t even have a Rotten Tomatoes rating yet, the only way to find out if it’s worth watching is to watch it.
Netflix’s reticence to try and drum up hype for The Chosen One is perhaps understandable given that Jupiter’s Legacy has gone down as the platform’s biggest ever flop, but even so a series not being given its fair shot to hook in viewers — or even get noticed enough to offend religious groups — is a tragic thing.