'Krypton' Trailer: Superman's Granddaddy Gets His Own SyFy Series

It's been a few years since writer/producer David S. Goyer set out to make Krypton, a television series for SyFy that follows the grandfather of Kal-El (better known as Clark Kent, and even better known as Superman) a few centuries before his planet is destroyed. You know, as seen/referenced in just about every Superman movie. It's been a little while since we've heard any major updates about the show, but now a trailer has arrived, giving us a look at what appears to be a very ambitious television show...and one that looks to be very much set in the DC Extended Universe.

The parade of surnames that should prove familiar to DC comic book fans begins with Cameron Cuffe as Seg-El, Superman's grandfather, presented here as a young and handsome (in that The CW-ish way) scientist/spy/adventurer/politician/whatever the show probably needs him to be. He's in a relationship with Georgina Campbell's Lyta Zod, whose last name tells you that she's probably up to no good. Game of Thrones veteran Ian McElhinney is on hand as Val-El, Seg's grandfather.

And here's the trailer, which looks very slick and looks to be very much set on the Krypton established in the prologue of Man of Steel.

While I have mixed opinions on the overall quality of the DCEU, the early Man of Steel sequences set on Krypton are my favorites scenes in a movie I really do enjoy. The blend of science fiction and gonzo fantasy is a far cry from the pristine and shiny alien world of Richard Donner's Superman and I vividly recall saying that I would love a prequel film following Russell Crowe's Jor-El. Well, this series is now here to put my money where my mouth is.

It's too early to tell if this show will be good or not, but it certainly looks handsomely made, with production qualities that appear to edge out the other DC comic book shows seen on The CW and Fox. Of course, the best of those shows have won their fans through colorful storytelling and likable characters, elements that a 90 second trailer can never really get across. At its best, I can imagine this series tapping into the same fandom that has embraced Game of Thrones and Battlestar Galactica.

Krypton doesn't have a release date yet (and SyFy has not to order a complete first season), but we should get our first look at it at some point this year.