Why You Should Get Excited about Matt Millar's New Netflix Show: Jupiter's Legacy

Netflix just released a trailer for their new superhero series, Jupiter’s Legacy. This show is already generating a lot of buzz, and with good reason! Here's why you should put this on your must-watch list.

Based on a series of comics created by Matt Millar and Frank Quitely, Jupiter's Legacy is an epic superhero story that spans nearly a century. While it includes traditional superhero elements, like capes, brightly coloured costumes and villains, the narrative focuses predominantly on the familial relationships of diametrically opposed generations.

The Union

Shortly after the stock market crash in 1929, six individuals journey to a strange, remote island. As the trailer teases, the island is the source of their remarkable abilities. After their trials there, they return home as superheroes and collectively become the core members of The Union.

Sheldon Sampson (played by Josh Duhamel) adopts the superhero mantle Utopian and becomes their leader. Through flashbacks, we’re given a glimpse of a romanticized and simpler time. Modern-day images depict angry protestors and Utopian seemingly at odds with society and his family.

The Legacy

Like most inter-generational conflicts, the heart of Jupiter’s Legacy seems to be that the original members of The Union earned their powers while their children inherited them. Chloe (Elena Kampouris) and Brandon Sampson (Andrew Horton), the children of Utopian and Lady Liberty (Leslie Bibb), live like celebrities, uncertain of their role or dismissive of their potential.

The Netflix adaptation will introduce a new villain - Baryon, played by Chase Tang. A component of the original comics is that there are no supervillains left, it will be interesting to learn how Baryon fits into the narrative.

The first comic is set in 2013, the economic recession acted as a catalyst of internal conflict within The Union. It’s not clear yet from the trailers how that will play out in 2021, but you can expect that, after 90 years, all is not well with Earth’s heroes.

Matt Millar and Millarworld

Matt Millar is the creative genius behind the source material of several hit films including Wanted, Kick-Ass and Kingsmen. Millar also penned some well-known storylines for both Marvel and DC. Captain America: Civil War is based on the Civil War comic written by Millar and DC’s Superman: Red Son depicts a Superman origin if his ship had landed in the Soviet Union.

In 2017, Netflix acquired Millarworld, the comic publishing company created by Matt Millar. This acquisition gives Netflix exclusive access to existing (excluding Kingsmen and Kick-Ass) and new material created by the publisher. Jupiter’s Legacy is the first of many planned Netflix projects from Millarworld.

What's Next for Millarworld and Netflix?

The list is long and distinguished! Currently in production is Super Crooks, an anime series that follows a group of supervillains who reunite for one last heist. This promises to be a fun ride from an antihero perspective.

Also in development is a film titled Sharkey the Bounty Hunter. A comedy set in space, the story follows Sharkey, ex-special ops as he operates a beat-up ice cream truck to take out bad guys. Tantalizingly bizarre, for sure.

To see the complete lineup of Millarworld projects, click here.

The Bottom Line

A lot is riding on Jupiter’s Legacy! As this is the inaugural project of the Netflix and Millarwold team, the pressure is on. If this is successful, there will be a treasure trove of original Netflix content for years to come. Netflix currently has plans to use Jupiter’s Legacy 1 and 2, as well as Jupiter’s Circle as source material for this series, but there really is no limit to how much the universe can expand.

In addition to the pressure to get this right, the series itself has the potential to be as epic as the comics it's based on. There's a deep and compelling story here, combined with brilliant imagery. As Cinema Blend aptly describes:

The fights look gritty, the flying heroes look graceful, and it looks like just about every shot in the trailer has some form of special effects work.

If we’ve learned anything from Millar’s style, don’t expect this to be just another superhero series! The genre is about to get flipped.

Jupiter’s Legacy will hit Netflix on May 7th! Check out the trailer below:

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