This week saw the premiere of Jupiter’s Legacy, a new superhero drama from Netflix and Mark Millar’s Millarworld. The series, based on Millar and Frank Quitely’s graphic novels of the same name, follows a superpowered family grappling with generational change and the moral and ethical quandaries of superheroism. The series focuses on the Sampson family, with patriarch Sheldon Sampson (Josh Duhamel) aka the Utopian married to Grace (Leslie Bibb) who goes by the moniker Lady Liberty. The duo, who adhere to a strict superhero code, find themselves at odds with their superpowered children, struggling to get out from under the shadow of their parents.
The series splits its time between 1929 and the present day. In 1929, the heroes are supposed to be in their twenties, and thanks to the powers of superhero aging, they’re sporting long grey locks and some old age make-up in the present. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the hair and make-up leaves something to be desired. It’s a design misfire that seems surprising considering the show’s ample budget, and it’s giving us flashbacks to the truly terrible wigs and CGI hair from Marvel’s Inhumans.
(Serinda Swan as Medusa in Marvel’s Inhumans/ABC)
Of course, Jupiter’s Legacy joins the pantheon of bad superhero wigs, which we’ve seen on MCU characters like Loki and Black Widow. But we still have to wonder … why are these wigs so bad? Who robbed the Spirit Halloween? And why are their no heroes with the super-powered ability to properly fit a lace front? Leslie Bibb’s wig is the only one that works, but one wig alone does not a series make.
The series, which currently sports a 40% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, was criticized for pacing issues, poor character development, and having nothing new to say about the superhero genre (you can read our review here). But the fiercest critics by far were the folks on Twitter, who came for the show’s Party City aesthetic:
The whole of Jupiter’s Legacy had a $20 budget everything on this show looks so cheap the old people makeup is super bad, the wigs looks like plastic rats nest and let’s not even start with the TI-83 level of VFX, if you don’t have the budget to do something don’t do it
— Alberto (@ALB3R70) May 7, 2021
Jared Padalecki's wig from SPN and Josh Duhamel's fake beard from Jupiter's Legacy should form a Greatful Dead coverband.
— Cary Brisebois (@cbrisebois) May 7, 2021
Can someone explain to me why they gave Elena Kampouris SUCH a terrible haircut/wig in Jupiter's Legacy? It's very upsetting. Also: really wish JL had been given the same budget as The Boys. S'little cheap round the edges. pic.twitter.com/Bb3WnZ0qX8
— Lila Whelan (@LilaWhelan) May 8, 2021
The wigs in Jupiter’s legacy are so bad it’s distracting
— Beff (@peskybe) May 8, 2021
Shout out to the Value Village Halloween section for being the exclusive wig supplier of Netflix's new series Jupiter's Legacy.
Huge cross promotion. pic.twitter.com/62biHe6grf
— Andrew Ivimey (@Ivimey) May 8, 2021
don’t be shy, just say Jupiter’s Legacy lol https://t.co/NGUIfpclFW
— Kare // Karen without the ‘n’ (@KareCarado) May 5, 2021
I know it shouldn't matter, but these wigs on Jupiter's Legacy bother me so, so much lol
— Chris (@cdstallworth) May 8, 2021
Personally, I don’t need Jupiter’s Legacy to try so hard to make Utopian comic accurate. That wig is… not so good.
— DorkMoney (Alex Jennings) (@Magicknegro) May 8, 2021
Jupiter’s Legacy is looking good, but bruh, Josh Duhamel’s wig pic.twitter.com/9RaJTdRfsP
— #TheFireRises (@ogbenisideburns) May 8, 2021
What did you think of the first season of Jupiter’s Legacy? Did the wigs ruin it for you?
(image: Steve Wilkie/Netflix)
Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!
—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—
