Lucifer’s season 5 trailer reveals the appearance of Lucifer Morningstar’s twin brother, Michael, with Tom Ellis starring in both roles. Lucifer season 4 ended with Lucifer and Chloe Decker (Lauren German) finally admitting their feelings for one another; however, Lucifer realized that the prophecy – that when the devil walks the Earth and finds his first love, evil shall be released – was not about him and Eve, but him and Chloe. After sending the demons back to Hell in the season finale, he decides to return to his throne in hell in order to protect the Earth and the one he loves.
For fans eager to see Lucifer and Chloe reunite, Netflix’s trailer revealed an unexpected twist. Lucifer is back in Los Angeles — except it’s not really him, but rather his twin brother Michael impersonating him. Confronted by Maze (Lesley-Ann Brandt), “Lucifer” reveals his true identity and announces his intentions to take over Lucifer’s life on Earth. Given this is all revealed in the trailer, it’s unlikely that the ruse will go on past the first or second episode — but it does suggest that Michael will be a staple of season 5.
Most viewers familiar with this show, with Supernatural, or indeed with the Bible itself, will recognize that Michael is the Archangel who led God’s armies against Lucifer’s forces when the latter rebelled. However, much like how Lucifer Morningstar provided a fresh take on the well-known Biblical figure, it is likely that Lucifer’s Michael will be very different from his depictions both in religious texts and in the original DC comics created by Neil Gaiman (upon which the show Lucifer is based).
The only distinguishing features between the brothers, as far as the trailer shows, seem to be the color of their wings and their accents. Whereas Lucifer’s angel wings are a pure white, Michael’s appear close to black; Michael also possesses an American drawl very much unlike his brother’s signature British accent. Beyond that, it seems the Lucifer showrunners are intent on taking Michael in a vastly different direction from the comics. From the trailer, it appears Michael is angry and seeking revenge against Lucifer, perhaps even jealous of the life his brother built on Earth. All these traits go very much against traditional media depictions of Archangel Michael as the loyal, just, and dutiful son of God — a role which was instead occupied by Amenadiel (D.B. Woodside).
Past mentions of Michael on Lucifer also suggest that Lucifer is not the only angel whom Michael has an issue with. The trailer sees him trading blows with Amenadiel, who last season recoiled at Linda’s suggestion that they name their child Michael, indicating the two angels have a strained relationship. In fact, speaking at the Los Angeles Lucifer convention in August 2019, Woodside quipped that, “I think a lot of the family has a problem with Michael.” It is therefore more than likely that Michael will serve as the main antagonist in Lucifer season 5, and viewers should not expect him to be much alike to past interpretations of the Archangel Michael.
