TV series ‘Krypton’ to tell superhero’s origin story
The new series “Krypton” isn’t your grandfather’s “Superman,” but it is about Superman’s grandfather.
Premiering Wednesday on Syfy, the origin story takes place 200 years before the planet Krypton goes kablooey — and, of course, before Jor-El rockets his infant son, Kal-El, to Earth, where he is eventually adopted by the Kents and becomes Clark Kent and, later, Superman.
The series centers on Seg-El (Cameron Cuffe), an aimless young man who must grow up fast when the time traveler Adam Strange (Shaun Sipos) reveals that a world-killing force named Brainiac (Blake Ritson) is approaching Krypton.
Driven by knowledge of the future, Brainiac’s purpose is to destroy the planet, effectively preventing the existence of Seg-El’s grandson, who will become Brainiac’s nemesis, Superman.
All manner of politics, romance, grudges, time travel and more only heighten the tension in Kandor, one of Krypton’s nine domed city/states.
“If this is the planet that birthed the greatest hero of all time,” posed Cameron Welsh, the show’s Australian executive producer and showrunner, ‘‘what made that world so special? Of course, we can say that part of what makes Superman Superman is his upbringing under Martha and Jonathan Kent, but I think another Seg-El (Cameron Cuffe) and Lyta-Zod (Georgina Campbell) in the upcoming series “Krypton”
“Krypton” will drop many names that have appeared in DC Comics through the decades.
Here’s a closer look, in order of probable importance:
• Seg-El (Cameron Cuffe): Superman’s grandfather was called Jor-El for many years. (Superman’s dad was Jor-El II.) But in 1978, the three-issue miniseries