Skip to main content

Netflix reveals release date and cast for Space Force

Update: Our reviewer found that Steve Carell and Greg Daniels’ new Netflix series Space Force manages to mine plenty of comedy from the strange and occasionally terrifying place where America currently finds itself. Read the full Space Force review for more.

A new Netflix show Space Force is coming to the streaming service on Friday, May 29. 

Space Force is from the same minds as comedy favorites like The Office and Parks and Recreation and stars big names like Steve Carell, Ben Schwartz, Lisa Kudrow, and more. 

Just like The Office, Space Force will be a workplace comedy — this time focusing on the employees of America’s newest military branch. The series follows Carell, who plays the four-star Gen. Mark R. Naird, as he moves his family to a remote location in Colorado to lead a team of researchers and scientists.

Friends alum Kudrow will be playing Carell’s wife. 

Steve Carrell and Ben Schwartz in Space Force
Steve Carrell and Ben Schwartz in Space Force Netflix

The cast also features John Malkovich, Diana Silvers, Tawny Newsome, Jimmy O. Yang, Noah Emmerich, Alex Sparrow, and Don Lake. 

The Office was the most-watched show on Netflix in 2018, and even though it leaves the streaming service in January 2021 to exclusively live on NBCUniversal’s Peacock, the cast and concept of Space Force could be a promising replacement. 

The idea for Space Force was initially announced in January 2019 after President Donald Trump announced a sixth branch of the military that would be tasked with protecting the U.S. and its allies in space. 

Space Force
Steve Carrell is is leading an all-star cast. Aaron Epstein/Netflix

Trump’s idea was at first met with a combination of excitement, dread, and mockery. Trump officially made the United States Space Force (USSF) a branch of the military on December 20 by signing into law the $738 billion defense bill.

It has been a year of firsts for the USSF since it officially became a branch of the military. In February, the USSF quietly conducted its first test launch of an unarmed nuclear-capable ballistic missile across the Pacific Ocean. The USSF also launched a military communications satellite into space last month, which was the first time the new military branch actually went to space. 

Editors' Recommendations

Allison Matyus
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Allison Matyus is a general news reporter at Digital Trends. She covers any and all tech news, including issues around social…
3 Body Problem is no longer Netflix’s most popular show. Here’s what dethroned the sci-fi series
A man walks towards the haunted Myrtles Plantation in Files of the Unexplained.

When William Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet that "there are more things in heaven and Earth ... than are dreamt of in your philosophy," he wasn't arguing that UFOs and unexplained phenomena are real. But it was an acknowledgement that there is a limit to what humanity can know and explain through science alone. The same basic principle applies centuries later to the new paranormal docuseries Files of the Unexplained, which has become one of the most popular shows on Netflix.

Shows like Files of the Unexplained aren't part of a new genre, and it's not even the only series like this on Netflix. So why is Files of the Unexplained such a big hit out of the gate, so much so that it replaced the high-profile -- and very expensive -- sci-fi show 3 Body Problem? In part, it's because Files of the Unexplained finds a way to speak to both skeptics and believers while also offering a glimpse at lesser-known incidents that don't easily fit into the little boxes that we call reality.

Read more
The best LGBTQ movies on Netflix right now
A family dances in The Persian Version.

After years of asking, LGBTQ+ content is more readily available than ever, largely thanks to streaming. No longer do audiences have to settle for "bury your gays" stories because the best LGBTQ+ movies on Netflix include a healthy mix of every possible genre. From dramas to comedies, rom-coms, and even the occasional genre movie, including horror and sci-fi, there actually is something for everyone in the LGBTQ+ community. These films feature compelling queer stories and characters that will make their audience feel seen, perhaps for the first time.

New movies come to Netflix every week, meaning there's a consistent and varied collection of queer-themed pictures available. Some are acquired tastes, while others are critically acclaimed classics; a few are animated, and some others are decidedly not kid-friendly. With so much to choose from, it might be tedious to search for just one title. Luckily for you, we've pulled together a list of the best LGBTQ-themed movies on Netflix right now.

Read more
Netflix’s most addictive movie of 2024 is now streaming. Here’s why you need to watch it
A man aims his camera in Scoop.

Thrillers come in all shapes and sizes. There's the psychological or serial killer thriller, which was popularized in the '90s by The Silence of the Lambs and Se7en. There's the erotic thriller, which had its heyday in the late '80s and early '90s with such hits as Fatal Attraction and Basic Instinct. And then there's the action thriller, which is probably the most popular offshoot of the genre right now, with the Taken series and Salt as prime examples.

Recently, there's been a revival of a subgenre that's been dormant since the 1970s: the journalism thriller. From Nightcrawler with Jake Gyllenhaal to the Oscar-winning Spotlight to 2022's She Said, this type of thriller usually centers around journalists pursuing a controversial and sometimes dangerous story. One of the best journalism thrillers has just been released by Netflix: Scoop. In chronicling how the BBC managed to snag the scoop of the decade by interviewing Prince Andrew about his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the movie manages to be suspenseful, informative, and one of 2024's most purely entertaining films.
The story everyone is after

Read more