The First ‘Watchmen’ Teaser Introduces Us to Brand New Heroes and Villains

HBO dropped the first official trailer for Damon Lindelof’s new Watchmen series today. The official Watchmen tease seems to confirm that the series is set after the events of the original comic book series, or in an alternate timeline all together. The trailer also reveals that Rorschach’s memory lives on in the spirit of a new gang of “Rorschachs,” police will be hunting superheroes as outlaws, and Regina King is starring as a brand new vigilante character.

Among comic book fans, Alan Moore’s Watchmen is something of a holy masterpiece. So it should come as no surprise that HBO’s upcoming series inspired by the graphic novel is something of a hotly anticipated event. The series will star Oscar and Emmy winner Regina King, Don Johnson, and Jeremy Irons in unspecified roles. However, the rumor among fans has been that Irons is playing an older version of the Ozymandias character from Alan Moore’s comic, and the teaser continues to imply that, showing us Irons meditating in an opulent setting, much like Ozymandias would do.

Elsewhere we see Don Johnson addressing a room of hyper-stylized cops who wear yellow masks over their lower faces, Regina King’s character busting out a beautiful black and white hooded superhero costume, and symbols and images that should be familiar to faithful readers of the comics. (I see you, “Tales of the Black Freighter” Easter egg!)

According to HBO, “[s]et in an alternate history where ‘superheroes’ are treated as outlaws, this drama series from executive producer Damon Lindelof embraces the nostalgia of the original groundbreaking graphic novel of the same name while attempting to break new ground of its own.”

Watchmen is set to debut on HBO this fall.