Despite making it to Netflix’s Top 10, Jupiter’s Legacy gets axed only a month into its premier. In a conversation with CinemaBlend, Josh Duhamel who took on the role of The Utopian, opens up about how he feels regarding the decision.
Jupiter’s Legacy was an attempt at establishing the Millarworld universe as a long-running series on Netflix. Season 1 brought in the history of the Union of Justice and the introductions of several characters including the well-known Utopian. This would help set up room for the real action to come in Season 2.
Critics had levied mixed reviews on the storytelling which despite having powerful fights and performances, felt overstuffed and methodical.
Besides this, Jupiter’s Legacy suffered behind-the-scenes in its production mishaps too – namely, going way over budget and the creative differences that led to the exit of showrunner Steven S DeKnight.
No doubt there were red flags pointing to the show’s unguaranteed future. But Jupiter’s Legacy’s viewership response, which put it as the the most-streamed show in its debut week, gave hope that these roadbumps could be left behind.
Sadly, it wasn’t enough. The show was cancelled and its short lived legacy came as a shock to both fans and the cast. Josh Duhamel in particular expressed his dismay, stating that he knew the show wouldn’t go on for longer than three seasons as it would cover the source material in the comics. Nonetheless, it was a shame to not have Season 2, that he described had the makings of a modern tragedy.
“You know, it’s just disappointing, I’m not gonna lie. We all worked very hard on that and promoted it very hard and thought we made a really good show, and I think [with] the audience, it performs so well and continues to do really well. We were a little bit surprised by it not getting renewed […] I’m not sure the reasoning for it. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have done it, and I think we all did a really good job on it. But this is the way of the business, you take your lumps. Just because you got something great, it can be undone.”
Josh Duhamel
Duhamel is unsure if he’ll play The Utopian ever again. But holding onto some hope, Duhamel also makes a suggestion of having a special feature.
“I think they should do a feature, just encapsulating what would have happened in the second season. Not do the full season, but just a feature. . . . I don’t know if they’ll do it or not, but all those costumes are ready to go. And they weren’t cheap, I’ll tell you that much.”
Josh Duhamel
After all, Season 1 did end with a lot of loose strings that we still need to make sense of. A 100-minute special to wrap up the series would definitely be a better band aid over the disappointment caused.
Lastly, with Netflix still going full-steam ahead with the spin-off Supercrooks, there is also a chance of featuring characters from Jupiter’s Legacy in small capacities. With fan petitions bringing back many series from the dead, anything is possible.
About Jupiter’s Legacy
Jupiter’s Legacy is an American superhero television series created by Steven S. DeKnight. It is based on the comic books of the same name by Mark Millar and Frank Quitely.
The series features an ensemble cast including Josh Duhamel, Leslie Bibb, Ben Daniels, Elena Kampouris, Matt Lanter, Andrew Horton, and Mike Wade.
Jupiter’s Legacy follows the story of the world’s first superheroes who received their powers in the 1930s. After nearly a century of keeping humankind safe, the first generation of superheroes must look to their children to continue the legacy. But tensions rise as the young superheroes, hungry to prove their worth, struggle to live up to their parents’ legendary public reputations — and exacting personal standards.
Source: Cinemablend
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