Ultraman: Rising’s new trailer transforms its titanic hero into a dad

Ultraman’s classic powers make him well-equipped to deal with almost any larger-than-life situation threatening the lives of ordinary people. But in the first teaser for Netflix’s new animated Ultraman: Rising feature from co-directors Shannon Tindle and John Aoshima, none of the hero’s incredible powers can prepare him for the challenges of becoming a father… to a baby kaiju.

Ultraman: Rising tells the story of how Japanese baseballer Ken Sato (Christopher Sean) returns to his home country with the intention of becoming the next Ultraman and Earth’s protector, only to inadvertently find himself saddled with the responsibility of raising a baby kaiju. When an encounter with one of Ultraman’s deadliest monster enemies results in Ken’s Ultraman form being the first thing the infant sees in the new trailer, it imprints on the hero in a way that opens up a world of danger for them both.

The trailer doesn’t delve all that deep into what sorts of hijinks Ken and the monster kid will get into as they try to find a way to coexist. But it does give you a great sense of how slick and stylish the film’s visuals from Tsuburaya Productions and Industrial Light & Magic are going to be.

Ultraman: Rising hits Netflix sometime in 2024.