Netflix might have just debuted its first big project from Millarworld—Mark Millar’s comic book studio—in the form of the superhero series Jupiter’s Legacy, but it looks as though the streaming service isn’t interested in continuing the series. Instead, it’s moving forward on another series set in the same world, Supercrooks.
Jupiter’s Legacy debuted last month on Netflix, a superhero show about two generations of superheroes and their differing values and expectations that comes with those powers. The series didn’t blow many viewers away—Keith R.A. DeCandido noted that that first season was a frustrating mess.
The show was based on the comics by Millar, Frank Quietly, and Peter Doherty, and it’s part of a larger package of works from the author (who’s also known for comics like Kick-Ass and King’s Men, two notable film franchises) that Netflix acquired back in 2017 in an attempt to build up its own catalog of original content. The deal was notable because it gave Netflix a treasure trove of superhero IP that it could use to snare subscribers looking for something to watch while waiting for the next Marvel or DC film to hit theaters.
Some big news from us on what's coming up next in live-action from Millarworld, peeps! pic.twitter.com/usEuwVNHei
— Millarworld (@mrmarkmillar) June 2, 2021
Millar announced that Jupiter’s Legacy wouldn’t continue in a tweet last night, although he didn’t frame it as a cancellation, instead stating that they were planning on exploring what some of his supervillains would be up to in the same world. “Jupiter’s Legacy is a vast and rich space with lots of characters to mine,” he wrote, saying that the next project will be an adaptation of his Supercrooks comic. The news will likely disappoint fans of the series, given that it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger.
That story was already slated for an anime adaptation (set to hit later this year), and it looks like this new live-action version will jump off from that. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix has formally greenlit the series. Millar didn’t rule out a return to Jupiter’s Legacy, but added that they “made the tough call of letting our incredible cast out of their show commitment as we continue to thoughtfully develop all realms of the Jupiter’s Legacy saga.”
In some ways, that makes the project sound a bit more like an anthology series, with new seasons telling a different story with a different cast. Or a situation similar to what Netflix did with its Marvel properties (Daredevil, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, The Punisher, The Defenders), and what Disney and Warner Bros. are doing with their respective superhero universes. We’ll see if Netflix’s offerings will hold up to those better-known franchises.
