After President Donald Trump announced plans to form a sixth branch of the military, the Space Force, the minds behind the television show “The Office” began formulating a comedy base on the concept of the new branch. Now that new show will be hitting the screen next month.
On Wednesday the official Twitter account for the television show posted still photos from the show and announced the release date of May 29. “What did you think? This was some kind of joke?” the account tweeted, confirming the show is indeed real.
What did you think? This was some kind of joke?
Space Force is coming May 29. pic.twitter.com/TPW0nhDjcO— Space Force (@realspaceforce) April 8, 2020
The show is set to premiere on Netflix and was developed by creators Greg Daniels and Steve Carell. Carell, who gained much of his career fame from his role as Michael Scott in the NBC show “The Office,” will also star in the show.
USA Today reported that a plot description for the show states Carell will play the role of U.S. Air Force general Mark R. Naird, a decorated fighter pilot who aspires to lead the Air Force, but who is instead chosen to lead the new military branch.
A teaser trailer for the show was released last year, indicated much of the premise behind the show will center on the members of the new branch figuring out what the purpose of the branch is. “The goal of the new branch is ‘to defend satellites from attack’ and ‘perform other space-related tasks’ . . . or something,” the trailer said.
“Friends” star Lisa Kudrow also reportedly joined the cast, which includes John Malkovich, Ben Schwartz, and Noah Emmerich.
Kudrow will play Maggie, Carell’s character’s wife, “who has sublimated parts of herself to her husband’s career for two decades. But as he takes on his biggest challenge, she is growing in a different direction.”
The show comes just months after the U.S. military formally organized the new military branch.
The branch published its official website in December. The branch received funding in the 2020 defense budget and has already submitted wartime requests to maintain and protect key satellites. The branch’s missions will also reportedly include satellite defenses, maintaining satellite communications in support of military operations abroad and maintaining missile-warning satellites, like those used to detect Iran’s missile launches against U.S. military positions in Iraq in January.
A recent military satellite launch was done in March under the auspices of the new military branch, marking its first official space launch.
The branch has also formed plans for taking on its initial recruits, particularly from existing branches. About 100 soldiers are reportedly set to transfer from the U.S. Army onto the new branch in 2021.
