The Boys has proved a monster hit for Amazon, but Netflix looks like they’ve got a decent counter up their sleeve in Jupiter’s Legacy. Based on the comic by Mark Millar and Frank Quitely, the story is about a conflict between two generations of superheroes. The elders are The Union, who gained powers in the 1930s and represent a golden age of heroism. They’re opposed by their similarly superpowered children, who struggle with the weight of expectations on them and their place in a changing world.
We’ve known that Netflix has had a live-action adaptation in the works for some time, though there’ve been months of radio silence. That’s broken today, though, as the streaming giant has unveiled the show with a teaser trailer and confirmed a May release date. It doesn’t reveal much, but the trippy computer-generated environments are certainly reminiscent of Quitely’s awesome illustration style.
The Transformers franchise’s Josh Duhamel headlines as Superman analogue The Utopian and he leads the old guard of heroes, eventually becoming a successful CEO in his own right when he’s not saving the world. The Crown‘s Ben Daniels plays The Utopian’s brother, Brainwave, who has psychic powers that allow him to manipulate minds and political aspirations like fixing global warming, tax reform and minimizing religion in government. Finalizing the main trio is The Utopian’s wife Lady Liberty, portrayed by Tag‘s Leslie Bibb, who balances superhuman strength with a full-time job in a law firm.
The younger generation of heroes, meanwhile, includes Elena Kampouris, Andrew Horton and Tenika Davis, each of whom is rebelling against their out-of-touch parents (who in turn see them as shallow and celebrity-obsessed).
Jupiter’s Legacy is one to watch out for and if Netflix can capture the retro gung-ho of the comic (at one point they travel to a place very much like Kong’s Skull Island!), they’ll certainly be onto a winner.
Jupiter’s Legacy will premiere on May 7th and consist of eight episodes. Let’s hope for a full trailer soon.