Robert Downey Jr. may be done with the MCU, but the Iron Man icon is about to dip his toes into the DC multiverse for the first time with an upcoming Netflix series that’s set to debut this very week. No, the Tony Stark actor isn’t going to appear on screen as a legendary DC Comics character – though never say never – but he and wife/producing partner Susan Downey did executive produce the streaming giant’s next big TV show, Sweet Tooth.
Following on from May’s Jupiter’s Legacy and previous smashes like The Umbrella Academy, Sweet Tooth is the latest Netflix production to be based on a hit comic book, as it’s inspired by the Vertigo series of the same name from creator Jeff Lemire. Though Vertigo is the mature offshoot of DC, the show is set in its own standalone world.
Taking place 10 years after a worldwide event called The Great Crumble caused some babies to be born part-human/part-animal, the series follows sheltered hybrid deer-boy Gus (newcomer Christian Convery) as he befriends a wandering loner named Jepperd (Nonso Anozie, Game of Thrones) and embarks upon an extraordinary adventure, perhaps even learning the truth about his origins in the process.
With a cast also including Adeel Akhtar (Enola Holmes), Will Forte (MacGruber) and Dania Ramirez (Once Upon a Time), there’s another vague Marvel connection in Sweet Tooth thanks to Hollywood legend James Brolin being on narration duties. Brolin is, of course, the father of Josh “Thanos” Brolin.
Sweet Tooth was initially developed over at Hulu before Netflix snapped up the rights. That would’ve made it even more of a Marvel/DC crossover, of course, given Hulu’s Disney-owned credentials. As it is, though, superhero fans will get a kick out of RDJ being involved with this series. Come for the Downey Jr. producer credit, stay for an imaginative, engrossing fantasy drama.
Don’t miss Sweet Tooth when it hits Netflix this Friday, June 4th.
