Space Force: Steve Carell Gets a Promotion in New Trailer for Netflix Series

It’s a big moment in any military man or woman’s life when they finally get that elusive promotion to four-star general. And that’s the moment that the latest trailer for Netflix comedy Space Force begins with for Steve Carell’s newly-ascendant General Mark Naird. 

Mark’s got his four stars and he’s in a room with his peers: Dan Bakkedahl, Jane Lynch, Patrick Warburton, Diedrich Bader, and Noah Emmerich (presumably those actors are playing characters but for now it’s nice to just imagine that crew all in the same room together). Now all Mark has to do is to receive his latest assignment. Air Force? Army? Navy? No, my friends. Mark Naird is unaware of the name of the show that he’s on. 

Bakkedahl at the beginning of that clip makes a good point. The United States does have a lot of important strategic interests in space like our vulnerable “space satellites.” Still, that doesn’t make the concept of a “Space Force” sound any less ridiculous to Naird or to pretty much anyone else. 

In a Netflix-hosted Q&A with Steve Carell and show creator Greg Daniels (The Office, Parks and Recreation), the pair discusses the impetus of this ambitious project…and it began pretty much how one would expect. According to Carell: 

“Space Force came around in a rather atypical way. Netflix had this premise that they thought might make a funny show — the idea made everybody laugh in a meeting, an idea of a show about the origins of a fictitious Space Force. I heard about the idea through my agent, and Netflix pitched the show to me, and then I pitched the show to Greg, and we all had the same reaction to it. There was no show, there was no idea aside from the title. 

Netflix asked, ‘Do you want to do a show called Space Force?’ And I pretty much immediately said, ‘Well yeah, sure. That sounds great.’ And then I called Greg, and I said, ‘Hey, you want to do a show called Space Force?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, that sounds good. Let’s do it.’ And it was really based on nothing, except this name that made everybody laugh. So we were off and running.”

Yes, Netflix apparently heard the phrase “Space Force” and ran with it. Just as any of us with access to billions of dollars in venture capital money would. Thankfully they decided to put that money to extra good use and bring plenty of talented people aboard. For in addition to all of the rocket ship hijinx, that Space Force trailer is really all about highlighting the show’s impressive cast. 

In addition to Carell in the lead role, Space Force will star John Malkovich, Ben Schwartz, Tawny Newsome, Jimmy O. Yang, Jessica St. Clair, Fred Willard, and Lisa Kudrow. Not bad!

Space Force will premiere all of its episodes on May 29 on Netflix.