Heroes come in various shapes and sizes. Some are Playboy billionaires, they use their vast fortune to build suites. Others are children with antlers, who struggle to retain their innocence in a dystopian world. Thanks to Netflix, these seemingly incongruous worlds are now fused together in “Sweet Tooth,” adapted from the wonderful DC comics written by Jeff Lemire. Here are six things to know about Sweet Tooth, which is streaming on Netflix.
Number: 1 Robert Downey Jr. is behind the show
The TV adaptation of Sweet Tooth has been developed by Team Downey’s, a production company founded by Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr. and his wife Susan Downey. When the trailer for “Sweet Tooth” was released, many fans pointed out on social media that Downey Jr. has effectively moved from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the stable of its rival DC Comics. But, Susan Downey explains: “When we got involved, it was a Vertigo title which then got absorbed entirely by DC. I hadn’t even thought about it, until I read the same things you did, and then I kind of laughed at it, that people wanted to make a thing of it. But the truth is, if we can contribute to both universes being built out and people appreciating great storytelling and characters then I’m all for it.”
Number: 2 Christian Convery As Gus
Gus is a hybrid child with antlers, deer ears, and other unique characteristics like night vision and slightly heightened agility. He is slightly older than the rest of the hybrid population, and may even have been the first one. His ability to talk also makes him stand out among the hybrids. Gus lives with his “Pubba” in the woods, and has been warned against venturing outside the fence for his entire life. But the temptation of finding his mother ultimately leads to him breaking his father’s biggest rule. Christian Convery played Morgan in Pup Academy and Jasper Sheff in Beautiful Boy.
Number: 3 The tone has changed for the TV show
When the trailer was released, fans of the graphic novels noted the TV series looked more family-friendly than the very dark tone of the comics. Even fans of the original comics might be surprised by just how euphoric this version of Sweet Tooth can be at times. Susan Downey explains this was a deliberate tonal change the producers made to help the show be more accessible. There are such beautiful themes that Jeff Lemire played with in the book, so we wanted to make sure we preserved that, but also wanted to pivot it and make sure it was done in a more palatable way.
Number: 4 Nonso Anozie As Tommy
Tommy Jepperd was once a famous football player, but in the post-apocalypse he is a lonely traveler with an unspoken darkness in his past. He crosses paths with Gus after saving him from a pair of hybrid poachers, and finds himself unable to stop the deer kid from following him around. Nonso Anozie is also known for playing Abraham Kenyatta in Zoo and Xaro Xhoan Daxos in Game of Thrones.
Number: 5 Adeel Akhtar As Dr. Aditya Singh
Once an ordinary doctor who dealt with skinned knees and sniffles, Dr. Aditya Singh finds himself at the heart of the search for a cure for the virus. His wife, Rani, is kept alive through experimental treatments that were developed at a terrible cost. When the local doctor retires and hands her work off to Adi, he’s forced to choose between his ethics as a doctor and his love for his wife. Adeel Akhtar is also known for playing Faisal in Four Lions and Naveed in The Big Sick.
Number: 6 It was filmed in New Zealand
The first episode of the show was more than a year before the rest of the series was filmed-during this period, the show jumped from Hulu, which had ordered the pilot, to Netflix, who picked up the full series. “We did the first episode in New Zealand,” Susan Downey explained. “And we actually thought we could shoot the rest of the series elsewhere. But everyone fell in love with shooting there.
Number: 7 Dania Ramirez As Aimee Eden
Aimee Eden is a counselor who feels trapped in her life, until “The Great Crumble” arrives and she finds her life completely upended. After a baby hybrid is abandoned on her doorstep, Aimee establishes a safe haven for hybrids inside the walls of a zoo – until the outside world threatens to invade. Dania Ramirez is also known for playing Hannah Perez in Tell Me A Story and Maya Herrera in Heroes.
Number: 8 Neil Sandilands As General Abbott
The former power structures have crumbled in Sweet Tooth’s present day, and the man in charge now is the sadistic General Abbott. Leader of a military organization called The Last Men, Abbott thinks that hybrid children are only good for being exterminated or experimented upon. Neil Sandilands is known for playing Clifford DeVoe also known as The Thinker in The Flash and Titus in The 100.
Number: 9 Stefania LaVie Owen As Bear
Bear is a teenager who believes that both the hybrid children and the virus are nature’s way of healing the damage done to the earth by humanity. She founded the Animal Army, a group of similarly orphaned children who wear animal costumes and use guerrilla tactics to save hybrids from being hunted and killed. Stefania LaVie Owen is known for playing Nicole Chance in Chance and Rebecca Iguero in Messiah.
Number 10: Rani Singh As Aliza Vellani
Rani is Aditya’s wife and is actually a character not seen in the comics. He relayed his past to Gus and Jepperd, so the show now has a chance to tread new waters and showcase her plight. It’ll help paint her husband in a more sympathetic light, especially since there’s a haven for others like her, which pushes him further to find a cure. It seems they’ve been victimized in the trailers, which means she’ll more than likely be a catalyst or moral compass for him. Aliza Vellani will play the character after roles in Marvel Super Hero Adventures, Supernatural, Charmed and The Twilight Zone reboot.
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