Netflix’s ‘Jupiter’s Legacy’ Is Like ‘The Avengers’ Meets ‘The Godfather II’
Netflix’s new series, Jupiter’s Legacy, hit Netflix on May 7. It’s unlike any of the streamer’s previous superhero installments. In fact, according to creator and showrunner Mark Millar, the show is so epic; it’s like The Avengers meets The Godfather II.
Netflix’s ‘Jupiter’s Legacy’ is based on a comic by Mark Millar
Millar is a Scottish comic book writer who is known for his extensive work with Marvel and DC. He’s created major superhero stories like Civil War, which became the Marvel Studios blockbuster, Captain America: Civil War.
Jupiter’s Legacy is based on Millar’s 2013 comic book of the same name. He published the story under his Millarworld banner. Some of his other famous Millarworld works include Kingsman: Secret Service, Kick-Ass, and Starlight.
When creating Jupiter’s Legacy, Millar used his Marvel and DC expertise to build a massive new superhero world of his own. “My one and only ambition was to create the biggest and best superhero story of all time with these books,” he said in a Netflix press release for the show.
“A big, self-contained Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones with superheroes. I worked at Marvel for ten years, I did Superman at DC, and I just wanted to take all the skills I’d picked up reinventing their characters and employ them to create the biggest franchise I could possibly imagine.”
What is ‘Jupiter’s Legacy’ about?
Netflix’s Jupiter’s Legacy centers on the Union, a group of superheroes who have protected humankind for almost 100 years. Now up in years, they decide to hand the reins of their legacy to their powerful children. But when their kids, who’ve grown up in the modern world, fail to meet all of the Union’s standards, family tensions begin to surface.
The series stars Josh Duhamel as Sheldon Sampson, aka The Utopian, the leader of The Union. Leslie Bibb plays Grace Sampson, aka Lady Liberty, Sheldon’s wife, who’s considered one of the most powerful superheroes on Earth. Ben Daniels, Elena Kampouris, Andrew Horton, Mike Wade, Matt Lanter, and David Julian Hirsh also star.
Mark Millar says the new Netflix series is like ‘The Avengers’ and ‘The Godfather’
Jupiter’s Legacy isn’t just a superhero story; it also dives into family dynamics and power. To give viewers an idea of the show’s tone, Millar described it as “part-2001, part-Avengers, part-Godfather II.”
“It’s a 50-year story self-contained inside one franchise,” he told Empire. “It’s got a cast of 50 or 60 super-characters. The story starts in 1929 and runs until the end of time. It runs through all time and space and explains the mystery of human existence, all tied into a superhero story.”
It’s been a while since fans have seen a huge superhero story on Netflix. Hopefully, if Jupiter’s Legacy does well and turns out to be the epic series Millar teased, the streamer will bring it back for a second season.
