Josh Duhamel stars as Sheldon Sampson, aka The Utopian, on Netflix’s Jupiter’s Legacy, which premieres on May 7. Based on the graphic novels by Mark Millar and Frank Quitely, the new superhero show spans decades and showcases the complicated dynamics of family, power, and loyalty.
After nearly a century of keeping mankind safe, the world’s 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.
The Utopian is the world’s greatest hero and leader of The Union of Justice. After gaining their powers in the 1930s, the world’s six original and most powerful superheroes formed the organization. Sheldon Sampson stands firm that superheroes in The Union follow a system of checks and balances called The Code: Heroes only use their powers in the service of others, they don’t govern, and they never kill. But the world is a very different place than it was 90 years ago, which he is struggling to understand, despite the tension it causes with his loved ones.
I got to speak with the talented actor about playing an evolving superhero, the family dynamic of the show, and what his character’s tagline would be! Watch my interview below to hear what Duhamel had to say.
