Hulu’s upcoming Helstrom show will explore the darker side of the Marvel Universe. The new series focuses on the comics characters Daimon and Satana Hellstrom, who are renamed Daimon and Ana Helstrom in the show. The two are the children of a serial killer who take down the worst of humanity. Tom Austen and Sydney Lemmon will play the siblings, while Elizabeth Marvel will play their mother, Victoria.
Helstrom is notable for being one of the final shows developed by Marvel TV before it became part of Marvel Studios. Many of the recent series planned for Hulu, including Ghost Rider, were axed before they made it to the screen. Animated shows featuring Howard the Duck and Tigra & Dazzler also didn’t make it past the development phase. This didn’t come as much of a surprise, considering Marvel’s focus on its upcoming Disney+ series, but it does make Helstrom stand out from the pack.
The cast and creator of Helstrom, Paul Zbyszewski, made an appearance at Comic-Con@Home this weekend. During their panel, available on Comic-Con International’s YouTube channel, Hulu revealed the first trailer for the series and also confirmed an October 16 release date, when all of season 1 will be available. In preparation for Helstrom‘s upcoming release, Zbyszewski discussed the tone of the series in comparison to the rest of the Marvel Universe:
We talked about sort of bringing a little bit of a darker tone to the Marvel Universe on TV and exploring some of the darker characters on the horror side, and I had a few in mind. Hellstrom was one of them that I enjoyed, and one of the things that I gravitated to was just that original sort of family story about this brother and this sister and this mother and this “father.”
Zbyszewski’s comments echo what was implied by the creepy nature of the source material, as well as the show’s trailer. The first look footage in particular highlighted the darker elements of the show, in a bit of a departure for the Marvel Universe. In the past, Marvel creatives have been somewhat hesitant to dive into the spookier side of the comics, but it seems Helstrom isn’t afraid to make that leap. The trailer also focused on Daimon, Ana, and their mother, so Zbyszewski’s mention of the show being a family story as well makes sense.
Since Marvel appears to be distancing itself a little from Helstrom – the company’s name is absent from both the trailer and official logo for the show – the series may have been given more licence to embrace its darker tone. More creative freedom could well be a good thing for Helstrom, allowing it to develop its own unique voice rooted in the world of Marvel but not dependent on it. It likely won’t become clear just how dark Helstrom plans to go until it premieres in October. Hopefully, viewers respond positively to a darker tone for the Marvel Universe.
