First look: HBO’s Watchmen coming soon

We love a superhero series. We’re totally here for Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and are addicted to Cloak & Dagger. But none has been as hotly anticipated as Watchmen. It’s based on the universe created in the limited series of DC comic books, and asks the question “Who watches the Watchmen?”

The story takes place in an alternative 2019, in a version of the United States that’s without cellphones or the internet. Masked vigilantes have been outlawed because of their violent methods – and they’re not too happy about it. Some team up to foment a revolution, while others must stop it before it’s too late.

The central figure in the original comic-book story was Rorschach, a vigilante whose mask changes frequently (like the inkblots on the famed Rorschach tests). That character perished in the books, but in the series, his presence still looms large. Inspired by him, a White Supremacy group surfaces, all wearing masks, and in response, the police also begin to hide their identities.

You’ll recognise some famous faces in the series. Oscar-winner Jeremy Irons plays Adrian Veidt, also known as Ozymandias, a brilliant vigilante; fellow Oscar-winner Regina King (The Leftovers, The Big Bang Theory) as Detective Angela Abar/Sister Night; TV legend Don Johnson as police Chief Judd Crawford and Robert Redford as President Robert Redford, who’s been in office since 1992.

Watchmen will be streaming on Showmax from 21 October, with new episodes coming weekly at the same time as it airs on DStv.