Space Force trailer finds Steve Carell leading the charge to colonize space
What if Michael Scott from The Office was given a team of scientists and astronauts and free rein to develop a program that would give the United States complete dominance over space?
That’s the premise of the first trailer for Netflix’s Space Force, a new workplace comedy that stars Carell as four-star general Mark R. Naird. Naird, a decorated pilot who wanted to run the Air Force, is thrown off balance when he’s given control over the newly formed sixth branch of the US Armed Forces, Space Force. Although he’s skeptical of what the program entails, he decides to give the job his all, leading to a series of hijinx and fumbles along the way that any Office fan will appreciate.
One of the ongoing jokes in the trailer is various members of the special forces scoffing or straight up laughing at orders from the president. Although President Trump’s name is never said, Space Force does come after Trump’s proposed new military branch of the same name. Trump called for the creation of a Space Force in June 2018.
“I’m hereby directing the Department of Defense and Pentagon to immediately begin the process necessary to establish a Space Force as the sixth branch of the armed forces,” Trump said at the time. “That’s a big statement.”
Although establishing a Space Force in the real world would require Congress to pass new legislation, Trump signed a memo in December ordering the Department of Defense to create a separate combatant command known as Space Command. As president, he has the right to create a Space Command without Congress’ approval. Space Force will explore a world where that sixth branch of special forces gets approved.
“We realized that the story had beautiful visuals and a mythic quality, and it echoed some of America’s best moments,” Space Force co-creator Greg Daniels said in a press release. “It had a lot of heroism and yet it also had a strong satirical element. Suddenly everybody has realized that there are riches to be had on the moon, and we’ve got to stake our claim. It feels like there’s now a scramble to colonize space. The contrast between that and the super hopeful early days of NASA, when it was just such an achievement for all of mankind to get a person on the moon, is a good subject for satire.”
Space Force brings together some of the most talented actors and comedians working today, including John Malkovich, Diana Silvers, Tawny Newsome, Ben Schwartz, Lisa Kudrow, Jimmy O. Yang, Noah Emmerich, Alex Sparrow, and Don Lake. Space Force starts streaming on May 29th.
What if Michael Scott from The Office was given a team of scientists and astronauts and free rein to develop a program that would give the United States complete dominance over space? That’s the premise of the first trailer for Netflix’s Space Force, a new workplace comedy that stars Carell…
