📺 Jupiter's Legacy (2021)
Based on comic
Netflix’s 2021 adaptation of Jupiter’s Legacy aimed to translate Mark Millar and Frank Quitely’s sprawling comic into an epic superhero drama, but it became as much a story of behind-the-scenes upheaval as of caped crusaders. The series, which dropped on May 7, 2021, starred Josh Duhamel as Sheldon Sampson, the Utopian, and Leslie Bibb as his wife Grace. It jumped between the Great Depression, when six strangers were gifted extraordinary abilities on a mysterious island, and the present day, where their children—especially the troubled Brandon and rebellious Chloe—reject the old guard’s uncompromising code. The show was originally shepherded by Steven S. DeKnight, who envisioned a gritty, character-driven take, but he was replaced midway by Sang Kyu Kim, creating tonal swings that critics noted.
Despite a lush period aesthetic and some strong performances, Jupiter’s Legacy received mixed reviews, with many finding the pacing sluggish and the deconstruction of heroism too somber. Netflix canceled it after a single season, making it a rare Millarworld project that failed to find a long-term foothold. However, the story didn’t end entirely: the anime series Super Crooks, an adaptation of Millar’s separate comic set in the same universe, arrived on the platform later in 2021 as a kind of spiritual spin-off. The comic’s deeper themes of legacy, capitalism, and generational conflict gave the show ambition that didn’t fully connect with viewers, but it remains a bold, if flawed, attempt to bring Millar’s vision to life.
Jupiter's Legacy is an American superhero comic book series created by writer Mark Millar and artist Frank Quitely, published by Image Comics under the Millarworld imprint. The first issue debuted in 2013, launching a multi-volume narrative that follows the Union of Justice, a team of heroes who gained their powers during a mysterious island expedition in 1932. Decades later, their children struggle under the weight of an impossible legacy, especially as the original heroes’ rigid ideals clash with a changing world. Central to the story are brothers Sheldon and Walter Sampson, whose philosophical rift over how to use power mirrors larger debates about morality and society.
The series is Millar’s long-form meditation on superhero mythology, American exceptionalism, and economic anxiety, partly inspired by the 2008 financial crisis. Quitely’s detailed, expressive artwork and Peter Doherty’s colors give the book a grand, cinematic scale. The main storyline unfolds across multiple limited series, with prequels such as Jupiter’s Circle exploring the team’s early years in the 1950s and 1960s, and a sequel series, Jupiter’s Legacy: Requiem, continuing the saga decades later. Praised for its ambitious themes and visual storytelling, the comic has been a standout in Millar’s creator-owned catalogue.