Netflix is searching for its own epic Superhero Franchise and seems to put all its hopes and dreams into their Jupiter’s Legacy adaptation of the Mark Miller & Frank Quitely’s comic series. Jupiter’s Legacy tells the story of the world’s first superheroes who received their powers in the 1930s. In the present day, their children struggle to live up to their iconic parents and question the Superhero Union’s seemingly outdated code: We don’t kill. We don’t lead. We inspire.

Jupiter’s Legacy mostly follows Sheldon Sampson/Utopia (Josh Duhamel), Grace Sampson/Lady Liberty (Leslie Bibb), and their two children Brandon/Paragon (Andrew Horton) who is constantly trying to earn his fathers approval, and Chloe (Elena Kampouris) their addict and overly rebellious daughter who wants nothing to do with her superhero lineage. 

While on paper, Jupiter’s Legacy may seem like a family drama thrown into a more adult CW Superhero series, you (like me) would be mistaken. The series is much more of a mishmash of an origin story with a sprinkling of unearned, OMG revelation moments. Normally, I enjoy a time jumpy series.

However, Jupiter’s Legacy’s use of the flashback, origin story gimmick is to its detriment. So many characters come and go that it’s hard to keep track. Because of the overuse of the flashback story, none of the characters can sit long enough to understand who they are or what makes them tick. By choosing to constantly go back and forth, it causes a huge lack of character development or even enough time for me to care about anyone I’m watching. 

JUPITER’S LEGACY HIGHLIGHTS

Not only that, but the constant jumping back and forth in time causes the series to drag like you’re trying to walk through molasses. It would’ve been more conducive to allot 2 episodes, or even the entire first season, to the origin story. That way we can learn how everyone came to be, but give all the characters the time needed in order to develop. I may have been able to get behind it if the build-up to the ending made it make sense, but there are zero payoffs for the way the creators chose to lay the story out. Which makes it that much more frustrating and disappointing. 

With that said, there are some highlights in Jupiter’s Legacy. I need to acknowledge the fight sequences. We don’t get to watch every fight, but the ones we do are spectacular. I really enjoyed the effects, the choreography, and there are even some really brutal takedowns. The actors did a great job of taking on the heavy lifting of a superhero series that doesn’t get too bogged down with teen angst – unless you’re Chloe and that’s your entire personality.

In the end, I felt Jupiter’s Legacy was a waste of my 8 viewing hours. This series had so much potential and I can see exactly how to fix it. If it gets a season 2, maybe I’ll check it out, but it won’t be on the top of my list. For now, I’ll just stick to The Flash over on The CW.