Netflix is cooking up excitement for the second season of its anime-inspired Devil May Cry adaptation, dropping a brand-new trailer that ramps up the tension between the infamous brothers, Dante and Vergil.
The footage simultaneously promises high-octane action while also hinting at deeper emotional stakes, giving fans a taste of just how intense the rivalry between the Sons of Sparda will get this season.
Speaking to IGN, showrunner Adi Shankar revealed, "Season 2 is just way, way, way bigger in terms of scope and scale. So it's the difference between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. That's the comp. Or Halo 1 and Halo 2, where in terms of just scale and scope - orders of magnitude bigger and larger. And the tone is just completely different on top of that. The tone is very, very different, so it cuts deeper.”
He went on to also share, "I look at these things as films broken up into chapters. But when you look at this film, it's been approached with psychological realism. Really, what he's doing, if you kind of look at it, is the real battle that he's trying to confront right now is his own loneliness. If you look at the core pain the character of Dante feels, it's loneliness and he lacks the tools to articulate it. So what he wants is what he lost as a child, which is a feeling of family."
The first season of Studio Mir's adaptation launched to a 95% approval from critics (7.7 average) on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite praise for its action, animation, and faithfulness to the games, fan reception has been less enthusiastic.
Common criticisms revolve around character portrayals differing from the game canon, the inclusion of overt political themes, and deviations from established storylines.
Still, Netflix must have been pleased with the show's season 1 ratings based on the season 2 renewal, something the streamer doesn't hand out without hitting certain metrics.
Season one of Netflix’s Devil May Cry concludes with Dante overcoming the primary antagonist, the White Rabbit, who nonetheless succeeds in tearing open a portal to the demon realm, Makai. In a shocking betrayal, Lady hands Dante over to the shadowy government agency DARKCOM, which seals him away in cryostasis.
The finale then peels back the curtain on a deeper plot: DARKCOM, led by Vice President Baines, has seized a rift device and plans to launch a full-scale invasion of Makai to strip it of its resources.
In the closing moments, Dante’s twin brother, Vergil, now in his Nelo Angelo form, frees captive demons and pledges loyalty to the demon king, Mundus. The season closes with tensions erupting into a looming three-way conflict between humanity, Dante, and the armies of Hell.
Season 2 of Devil May Cry will begin streaming on Netflix on May 12.