Come June, anime lovers are going to have one more big reason to enjoy Netflix: The streamer’s latest animated series, Voltron: Legendary Defender, is set to premiere soon. DreamWorks Animation has released the first trailer for the upcoming series, previewing the latest addition to the popular 1980s cartoon franchise.
The promo, called Forming a Legend, shows the creation of Voltron, a mighty warrior formed by five robotic lions. Punctuated by roars, we see the pieces come together to emerge as the giant robot that will protect the universe from evil after 10,000 years away. As ever, Voltron looks like a force to be reckoned with. The robot lands triumphantly, eyes literally flashing and sword swinging.
The series may be new, but a lot of it will be familiar to fans of the original. “We’re trying to keep as much of that classic feel to it as we can, because ultimately we have huge amounts of nostalgia for (the original) show,” says co-executive producer Lauren Montgomery, according to USA Today.
In Legendary Defender, five Earth teenagers will find themselves caught in an intergalactic battle and will be faced with the threat of King Zarkon and his evil alien force. The fate of Arus and other planets will be up to the group, which consists of Keith (voiced by Steven Yeun), Lance (Jeremy Shada), Hunk (Tyler Labine), Pidge (Bex Taylor-Klaus), and Shiro (Josh Keaton). They won’t only work together as Voltron, though; co-executive producer Lauren Montgomery reveals that there will also be plenty of fighting from the crew, both while piloting the lions and as men.
Compared to the original, it sounds like the characters will be better defined. Their backstories will receive more focus, according to executive producer Joaquim Dos Santos, and on top of that, he says the stakes will be raised. Prepare yourself for more situations where it looks like Voltron might not be able to survive.
We’ll see firsthand how the DreamWorks Animation-produced Netflix series compares to the original when Voltron: Legendary Defender premieres on June 10.
