With Netflix’s Jupiter’s Legacy, Asian-American performer Anna Akana adds superhero to her impressive résumé
- Akana, who plays an assassin in the new series, is also a singer, filmmaker and comedian
- She advocates for greater diversity in Hollywood, is cheered by the success of movies such as Minari, and decries the recent anti-Asian violence in the US
Anna Akana is an actress, comedian, producer, singer and YouTuber who will possibly soon add “superhero” to her list of professional titles.
The multitalented performer, 31, will next appear in Netflix’s anticipated superhero series Jupiter’s Legacy as part of an ensemble cast including Josh Duhamel, Ben Daniels, Elena Kampouris, Leslie Bibb and Matt Lanter. The show’s action-packed trailer has so far amassed close to three million views and depicts Akana in a black face covering, combating her foes.
“Jupiter’s Legacy is a multigenerational superhero saga that follows parallel timelines of the older generation and how they got their powers, the mostly villain-free world their children inherit, and how they struggle to live up to their parents’ legacies,” says Akana in an interview with the Post.
The actress offers insight into her character without giving away too many details. “I play Raikou, an assassin for hire who mostly resides in Japan, but comes to the States when summoned by the Union. I can’t reveal too much about her, but she’s got a complicated relationship with the older generation.”
The character’s situation reminds Akana of her own family history. “I tend to identify most strongly with my Japanese heritage, since I spent a good chunk of my childhood growing up in Okinawa and attending public school there,” says the actress.
