The first full-length feature that was produced under Marvel Studios was released over fifteen years ago in May 2008. Since then and without a trace of slowing down, the world has become more infatuated with the superhero genre than ever before. With Iron Man and every consequential sequel surrounding Robert Downey Jr.’s one-man show instantly becoming widely successful in both domestic and international markets, every film and television studio, whether big or small in stature, has made it their business to try and get their hands on even the most minimally popular comic book character known in hopes of adapting them for a different type of audience. While some shamelessly grabbed a piece of that humongous cash cow, this tried and true method has most certainly worked in the past for various production companies. With the start of the new year right behind us, a new show coming soon to the streaming platform Hulu hopes to prove that starting from square one with an original coming-of-age heroine works just the same.
An original series called Extraordinary will premiere that combines a lot of comedy with a dose of science fiction and a dash of fantasy. In an alternate world where every single living person naturally discovers their very own superpower when they turn eighteen years old, the audience follows along with a woman in her twenties who seem to still be waiting for some kind of tremendous power to kick in.
Extraordinary: The Plot
Soullessly working at a party supply store where every day there seems to be a mental struggle, Jen is twenty-five years old and becoming increasingly more frustrated at the fact that numerous years have passed since becoming eighteen and her supposedly innate superhuman abilities have not made themselves known yet. Even though she has an on and off again relationship with her co-worker Luke, which consistently keeps her distracted enough to help her remain in good spirits and stay in a positive attitude against her ever-growing no-power handicap, Jen always feels akin to a piece of debris in the middle of the ocean, just floating around and painstakingly having to just wait until fate decides that it’s time to whisk you in some random direction.
In the show’s trailer, Jen doesn’t seem to be alone in her journey. She is supported by Carrie, her best friend since childhood. From sharing such a strong and uniquely built bond over the years, the two can seamlessly shift dynamics when more or less support is needed. As of now, Jen resides in the same London apartment as Carrie and her long-term boyfriend Kash.
Since this world has different rules than our own, Carrie and Kash clearly have powers of their own. She can talk to the deceased (similar to that of another recent Hulu show, Darby and the Dead) and he can rewind time, which can help when the couple gets into arguments, especially when he is ousted to be the wrong one. On top of all that craziness, their cat even seems to have a special secret that gives the feline more footing than Jen in this topsy turvy world.
Extraordinary: The Cast
With the show’s creator Emma Moran not afraid to bet on fresh faces in the acting field, Extraordinary brings new talent to the forefront. Twenty-four-year-old actress Mairead Tyers plays the main character Jen while poet Sofia Oxenham stars as best friend Carrie. Not only well-endowed in the spoken verse world, Oxenham has been a part of the long-running British medical serial Doc Martin and has also been in a recent Netflix adaptation of Dracula. Bilal Hasna, who stars as Cassie’s boyfriend, is going to be voicing an undisclosed role in the upcoming animated film, Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, which will release in April 2024.
In the other supporting roles, the audience will be given a chance to meet and learn all about Jen’s abrupt family including her mother Mary, her stepdad Ian, as well as her half-sister Andy. Belonging to a part of society that has no problem deciphering their powers, Siobhan McSeeney, Robbie Gee, and Safia Oakley-Green help to bring these characters to life on the small screen. These three stars all bring great experience to this one-of-a-kind twist on the superhero subject with McSeeney starring in Derry Girls, Gee previously cast in BBC One's Motherland and Oakley-Green having a place in another BBC drama, Sherwood.
Release Date
With the short but exciting trailer for Extraordinary reaching well over three hundred thousand views on YouTube alone, many people are impatiently waiting for the London-based dramedy. There won’t be much of a delay any longer though as the complete first season of the already popular show finally releases on January 25. If you still think that’s too long to wait, think about how much patience Jen must have at this point.