There’s a universe out there where giant robots carry RVs like toys and Mr. Peanut packs heat. That universe will come alive in Netflix’s upcoming sci-fi spectacle The Electric State, a wild ride through a retro-futuristic 1994. The first trailer, unveiled at New York Comic-Con, gives an idea of what we can expect in this post-apocalyptic adventure directed by Marvel alumni Joe and Anthony Russo.
Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown leads the cast as Michelle, an orphaned teenager on a quest to find her long-lost brother. Somehow, her companion ends up being a mysterious robot named Cosmo, seemingly controlled by the very sibling she is looking for. As Michelle ventures into the robot-inhabited “Exclusion Zone,” she crosses paths with Chris Pratt’s Keats, a veteran-turned-smuggler with his own mechanical sidekick, Herman (voiced by Anthony Mackie).
The Russo Brothers must have received a huge budget for this. That’s the only explanation for a cast that includes Ke Huy Quan, Giancarlo Esposito, and Stanley Tucci in live-action roles. And that’s not even mentioning the vocal talents of Woody Harrelson, Brian Cox, and Jenny Slate.
Based on Simon Stalenhag’s graphic novel, The Electric State proposes an alternate 1994 where humanity and sentient robots have fought to a stalemate. Once peaceful servants, these android beings now live in exile following a failed uprising. From the retrofuturistic trailer, robots of all sizes coexist uneasily with humans in a transformed American Southwest.
For the Russo brothers, this Netflix project is a return to high-concept genre fare after their recent grounded efforts. It’s a pit stop before they dive back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the next Avengers installments. With Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU to play Doctor Victor Von Doom, we’re sure The Russo Brothers will be excited to reunite with him in Avengers: Doomsday and its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars.
The Electric State will make its debut on Netflix on March 14, next year.
