Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Entertainment
  3. Guides

This series is Netflix’s most popular comic book show now. Here’s why you should watch it

Blair Marnell
By

Netflix purchased the rights to writer Mark Millar’s Millarworld imprint of comic book stories through Image Comics in 2017, but the results have been decidedly mixed so far. The live-action adaptation of Jupiter’s Legacy was touted as Netflix’s first big superhero franchise, but it was quickly canceled after a lot of fanfare. An anime adaptation of Supercrooks followed, and it had a much better reception. Now, Millarworld’s third adaptation, The Chosen One, has arrived and it’s already proven to be a sleeper hit after making the list of top 10 most popular shows on Netflix.

This series is based upon American Jesus, a comic book by Millar and Peter Gross that explored what would happen if the Messiah was reborn in the present as an ordinary boy with extraordinary gifts. Bobby Luhnow is headlining the series as Jodie, the kid who may be the second coming of Jesus Christ, with Dianna Agron as Sarah, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s Tenoch Huerta in a supporting role as Lemuel.

Recommended Videos

Although Netflix hasn’t given The Chosen One the same promotion that Jupiter’s Legacy received, its continued presence on the crowded TV show chart suggests that it might have a bright future. And if you’ve been holding off on giving this show a chance, we can share three reasons why you should watch The Chosen One.

These Stranger Things

The cast of The Chosen One.
Netflix

The Chosen One takes some detours from the original story, most notably by transporting the location from America to Mexico. Jodie is still an American in this retelling, but he faces some discrimination for being a “gringo” in a country that isn’t his. However, Jodie does have a loyal circle of friends, including Magda (Lilith Curiel), Tuka (Juanito Anguamea), Wagner (Alberto Pérez-Jácome), and Hipólito (Jorge Javier Arballo).

It’s hard not to get Stranger Things vibes from that group, especially since The Chosen One is also a period piece. It’s just set in the late ’90s instead of the eternal ’80s of Stranger Things. The first episode alone has the gang of friends on a misadventure that wouldn’t be too out of place on that show. This series spends just enough time on Jodie’s dynamic with his friends that we care about what happens to them, especially Magda. She’s clearly got feelings for Jodie that may be doomed for heartbreak because he has suddenly become so much more than he was.

The Second Coming

Dianna Agron and Bobby Luhnow in The Chosen One.
Netflix

It does take some time for The Chosen One to get around to exploring Jodie’s powers. And if you’ve ever read the Bible or seen any movie about Jesus Christ, then it shouldn’t be a shock that Jodie can do things like turning water to wine or healing the sick and disabled. The amusing thing about that is Jodie’s frame of reference for his gifts isn’t in religion — it’s in comic books. He initially assumes that he’s some kind of superhuman. It’s also clear that Jodie’s mother was aware of the truth about who he was as a baby, and she specifically picked Mexico as the best place to hide him from anyone who meant him harm.

Of course, once Jodie begins openly embracing his gifts, everyone wants a piece of him. When that happens, there’s no hiding anymore, even when Jodie’s abilities draw out some very dangerous people who would do anything to prevent him from achieving his destiny on Earth.

Those mind-bending twists

Bobby Luhnow in The Chosen One.
Netflix

We are not going to spoil the big twists and turns in the story, because those are better left explored in the show itself. It’s enough to say that the first season ends in a way that makes it clear that Jodie’s story isn’t over and there may not be many cast members from season 1 who will return for additional seasons should the show continue.

The season finale also raises some very big questions about what comes next. But for now, the real mystery is whether Netflix will renew this series to pay off these storylines and complete the adaptation of American Jesus.

Watch The Chosen One on Netflix.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Blair Marnell
Blair Marnell
Blair Marnell has been an entertainment journalist for over 15 years. His bylines have appeared in Wizard Magazine, Geek…
Burning Body is Netflix’s latest foreign language hit show. Here’s why you should watch it
Úrsula Corberó in Burning Body.

In case Squid Games hadn't made it clear, Netflix isn't reliant solely on its American programming. It's truly an international streaming affair, as exemplified by the newfound success of Burning Body. This ripped-from-the-headlines Spanish original series has entered the top 10 most popular shows on Netflix with little advance fanfare. It's loosely, and we mean very loosely, based on a true crime story that gripped Spain in 2017 when the burnt body of a police officer was discovered in a car. And the trial that followed led to some very sordid revelations.

Úrsula Corberó stars in this miniseries as Rosa, and American fans may recognize her as the Baroness in Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, as well as her leading role as Silene Oliveira in Money Heist. Eva Llorach co-stars as Ester, with Quim Gutiérrez as Albert, Raúl Prieto as Manu, Isak Férriz as Javi, and José Manuel Poga as Pedro.

Read more
This Dwayne Johnson film is Netflix’s most popular action movie. Here’s why you should watch it
Dwayne Johnson in Snitch.

Earlier this year, Snitch celebrated its 10th anniversary in a very subdued fashion. After all, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has starred in so many action flicks that they all tend to blur together. In the movie, Johnson plays John Matthews, a father who is alarmed when his son, Jason Collins (Rafi Gavron), is sentenced to jail for 10 years on bogus drug charges. To help his son earn his freedom, John agrees to undertake a very deadly personal mission and infiltrate the criminal underworld in order to expose drug dealers who have escaped justice until now.

Snitch may have been destined to remain forgotten until it debuted near the top of Netflix's Netflix's top 10 most popular movies. And suddenly, a mid-budget action film from a decade ago has become a streaming hit. But there's more to Snitch's newfound success than Netflix's infamous algorithm. This is a movie that has earned its revival by offering things that many of Johnson's other action films couldn't provide. That's why we're sharing the three reasons why you should watch Snitch on Netflix, especially if you want to save yourself a trip to the theater this weekend.
It has one of Dwayne Johnson's best performances

Read more
This 2016 sci-fi film is one of Netflix’s most popular movies now. Here’s why you should watch it
A woman attempts to touch an alien in Arrival.

Director Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049, Dune) is one of the most exciting and acclaimed directors in the modern age of filmmaking, and his sci-fi hit Arrival is making waves again after being added to Netflix's vast catalog. The movie earned critical acclaim upon release, as well as a handful of Academy Award nominations, with Arrival still holds up just as well nearly seven years later.

Villeneuve has made no secret of his talents for sci-fi with his work in the Blade Runner franchise and now Dune, but the 2016 film is arguably one of his most inventive efforts. Between Arrival's subversive storytelling approach to the commanding performance of its lead, now's as good a time as any to see why the movie is ranking in Netflix's top 10 this week.
A subversive take on the 'alien invasion' trope
Arrival Trailer (2016) - Paramount Pictures

Read more