Small Details You Missed In The Jupiter's Legacy First-Look Trailer
Superhero IPs are all the rage at streaming services these days, and Netflix is no exception. It just released a new trailer for one of its new series for 2021, Jupiter's Legacy. Based on the Millarworld comic book that was written by Mark Millar, drawn by Frank Quitely, and colored by Peter Doherty for Image Comics, the upcoming drama has been compared to Amazon Prime's The Boys and HBO's Watchmen and focuses on the world's first generation of superheroes passing the torch to their children to carry on their legacy. According to the Netflix description, the show "spans decades and navigates the complex dynamics of family, power, and loyalty."
It's the first Millarworld series to come out, following Netflix's acquisition of the publishing house in 2017 and commitment to bringing Millar's work to the small screen.
The new trailer, following a release date announcement by about a week, is short and sweet. It makes sure viewers know about the show's comic book origins while offering very little — read, nothing — in the way of actual footage or even a voiceover. In fact, some people in the comments weren't even sure it was going to be a live-action show. Given that the series is debuting on May 7, it's clear fans will be getting more information about the show soon, but this trailer didn't necessarily provide the meat that they were looking for. Still, there are some details you may have missed if you're not familiar with the news that's already been released about the show, or its source material. Here are a few of them.
For the first time, most of the main characters are shown
This is the first time fans are seeing what the main characters will look like, as translated into their live-action versions. The first character to transform from drawing to real life is interplanetary villain Blackstar (Tyler Mane), who looks like he's being restrained by some law enforcement officials. He's followed by George Hutchence's (Matt Lanter) son Hutch (Ian Quinlan), who also looks like he's fighting troops of some kind, perhaps also hinting at where his allegiance lies.
Next, viewers can see Chloe Sampson (Elena Kampouris) and her father Sheldon Sampson (Josh Duhamel) as a younger man. Brandon Sampson (Andrew Horton), Sheldon's other child, shows up afterward. In the picture of three superheroes standing together, you can see Grace Sampson (Leslie Bibb), Sheldon Sampson, and Sheldon's younger brother Walter Sampson (Ben Daniels). They all look fairly similar to their comic book counterparts, when it comes to outward appearances.
The previous trailer had a voiceover from Josh Duhamel, and the visuals included a cape and what looks like it could be the halls of The Union's headquarters. This new trailer doesn't reveal much more. Here's one thing we do know: If the series follows the plots of the comic books, not all of these characters will make it out alive.
Those classic costumes are on point, though
Interestingly, the characters in the trailer shown actually sporting superhero costumes are the three Sampsons of the older generation and Brandon Sampson. Their costumes, complete with red capes, stick close to Millar's comic book looks, with a few small changes here and there. Sheldon sports the Jupiter's Legacy symbol prominently on his white outfit, while his wife Grace wears a light blue uniform, and his brother is outfitted in dark blue. Brandon, too, has a blue uniform with gold trim and a red cape.
It makes sense that the older heroes would sport a more classic look of the type worn in the Golden Age of superhero comics while the younger generation might favor edgier styles in general, but we're looking forward to seeing more of the younger heroes' styles. Raikou (Anna Akana), who apparently has more of a role in the Netflix series than she did in the comics, supposedly has a pretty cool costume as well.
There are Easter eggs because of course there are
Fans who are familiar with the Jupiter's Legacy comic books are best equipped to discover the Easter eggs lurking in this trailer. For example, in the scene that shows Chloe's profile for the first time, you can also see a few interesting items in the background. There's a picture of her brother Brandon as Paragon near the top of the screen, featuring a likeness of him that's very similar to one that appears a few seconds later in the video. In that picture, there's also a van that reads "Quitely Express." That's clearly a reference to Frank Quitely, the comic's artist, who also acts as an executive producer on the Netflix series.
Next to the drawing on the screen, viewers can see a miniature of the Empire State Building, with a stand that reads "New York." That's where the headquarters of the Union of Justice, this universe's superhero organization, is located. Additionally, in the scene that shows Josh Duhamel as a younger Utopian, there's a stopwatch in the top left corner. This probably refers to the time-jumping that the narrative does, when dealing with the superheroes both in the present day, in the early 20th century, and during the formation of the Union back in the 1950s and '60s.
The trailer is heavily focused on the artistry involved in the creation of comic books, with many shots showing the tools and effects of the trade: erasers, X-Acto knives, ink blots, coffee cup outlines, rulers, and half-finished sketches.
As promotion ramps up for Jupiter's Legacy, hopefully viewers will see more pertinent details come to light.