Ultraman has been fighting kaiju for more than 50 years, but you’ve never seen him like this. The Japanese hero is now on Netflix in a new animated film, Ultraman: Rising, and you won’t believe who he’s bringing along. 

After decades of Ultraman appearances, beginning with the original 1966 television series created by Eiji Tsuburaya and Tetsuo Kinjo, the film introduces an all-new Ultraman: baseball star Ken Sato. In the new trailer for Ultraman: Rising, which you can watch above, you’ll get a glimpse at one of the challenges Sato faces: a baby kaiju, who imprints on Ultraman and turns his world upside down. 

For director Shannon Tindle (creator of Lost Ollie), everything about Ultraman: Rising sprung from this initial concept. “What if I took a character who doesn’t want to be Ultraman, who kind of messes up his job on one of his early outings and as a result of it has to adopt the baby of his enemy?” Tindle, who also co-wrote the film with Marc Haimes, tells Tudum. 

The notion became even more irresistible when Tindle became a father himself. “There were things that I think in the earlier versions were a little more generic, and then when my daughter was born, I was like ‘Uh-oh,’ ” Tindle adds. “This pure misery I’m going through right now and not sleeping ever — I might want to incorporate that into the movie and weaponize all those things I’m experiencing right now.”

Like previous entries in the Ultraman franchise, Ultraman: Rising follows a seemingly average young man who has the ability to transform into a gigantic superhero. Fans of the series will find plenty to love, but don’t worry: If you’re unfamiliar with Ultraman, the new film introduces a reimagined iteration of the Earthbound hero, with new enemies and challenges to face. “You don’t have to know anything about Ultraman to enjoy this movie,” Tindle says. “Hopefully you’ll laugh and you’ll cry and you’ll cheer and maybe at the end you’ll come to love Ultraman. That’d be pretty cool too.”

Find out more about Ultraman: Rising below. 

What’s Ultraman: Rising about?

When Tokyo is threatened by rising monster attacks, an all-star athlete reluctantly returns home to take on the mantle of Ultraman, discovering that his greatest challenge isn’t fighting giant monsters: It’s raising one.

Tindle drew from an unexpected source for the parental relationship in Ultraman: Rising. “One of the big inspirations from the very beginning of this story was Kramer vs. Kramer, because it’s one of my favorite movies,” Tindle says. “A child being a catalyst for understanding and changing you … That’s the kind of story I’m interested in telling.”

Who’s in the cast of Ultraman: Rising?

• Christopher Sean (You, Hawaii Five-O, Star Wars Resistance) as Ken Sato/Ultraman
• Gedde Watanabe (Sixteen Candles, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, The Summit of the Gods) as Professor Sato
• Tamlyn Tomita (The Good Doctor, Cobra Kai, Avatar: The Last Airbender) as Emiko Sato
• Keone Young (Crank, Men in Black 3, Star Wars Rebels) as Dr. Onda
• Julia Harriman as Ami
  
  John Aoshima co-directed the film. 

When is Ultraman: Rising coming to Netflix?

Ultraman: Rising is now streaming on Netflix. Check out the full summer lineup here for more incredible animated films to look forward to.