The First Ultraman: Rising Trailer Looks Incredible

Ultraman Rising teaser screenshot

Ultraman is one of Japan’s biggest superheroes – both figuratively and literally – but outside of Japan the hero’s popularity hasn’t quite hit fever pitch. Netflix’s newest film could change all that, if the first trailer for Ultraman: Rising is anything to go by, as it looks absolutely incredible.

Netflix released the first trailer for the CG animated film Ultraman: Rising last night, as part of its annual Geeked Week celebrations. The trailer shows off a rebooted Ultraman, a gigantic super-powered hero that’s the powered-up form of baseball superstar Ken Sato.

As the story goes, Ken comes back to Japan to take up his duties as the biggest superhero on the planet, promptly defeating a large, dragon-like kaiju. In the trailer, he retrieves a mysterious orb from the monster, only to discover it’s an egg — and it hatches into the child of his greatest foe.

The trailer is packed with action, comedy, and some gorgeous 3D animation that is stylised in all the right ways. It’s certainly a pretty big departure from the franchise’s tokusatsu roots, and there’s definitely far fewer dodgy costumes, but it looks like a lot of fun and very much in the spirit of the franchise.

Netflix promises that Ultraman: Rising will have plenty for long-time fans of Ultraman, but will also be accessible for newcomers. It’s said to feature a “reimagined iteration of the Earthbound hero, with new enemies and challenges to face.”

Ultraman: Rising will premiere exclusively on Netflix in 2024.