The first image from Season 5 of Black Mirror has been released, and it shows actors Anthony Mackie and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in a tense face off. It’s been almost two years since the last season of Black Mirror, so fans of Charlie Brooker’s dystopian sci-fi series are naturally champing at the bit for new episodes. Filming for Season 5 officially began back in early 2018, but was delayed while Brooker and Netflix focused their efforts on releasing the first Black Mirror feature film Bandersnatch. Although ground-breaking, that project has proved one of the franchise’s most polarizing entries to date.
Both Brooker and Netflix have been pretty hush-hush about Black Mirror’s fifth season, although Brooker did confirm late last year that the new season would feature more optimistic episodes and storylines. More recently, it was reported that Mackie (Avengers: Endgame, Detroit) and Abdul-Mateen (Aquaman, Us) had both nabbed parts in Season 5, although no details about their characters or episode were released.
Judging by EW’s exclusive first look image, it’s safe to say Mackie and Abdul-Mateen - who appear engaged in a tense stand-off on a rainy street - probably won’t be starring in one of those optimistic Black Mirror episodes Brooker talks about. Referencing Mackie’s ongoing portrayal of Falcon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Abdul-Mateen’s casting as Black Manta in Aquaman, Brooker quipped: “It's the Marvel-DC crossover no one saw coming.” Sadly, no other details were confirmed, so we’re still none the wiser as to who Mackie and Abdul-Mateen will be playing and what their episode will be about.
Mackie and Abdul-Mateen do join one other confirmed cast member, however. Singer Miley Cyrus confirmed last year that she’d been cast in a role in Black Mirror’s fifth season, though like her co-stars, nothing is known about her character or the episode she’ll star in. Either way, it’ll probably be about as far away from the wholesomeness of Hannah Montana as one can get.
While details are still scarce, hopes are high for Season 5 if Black Mirror’s past seasons are anything to go by. Since it first aired in 2011, the show has been showered with praise for its thought-provoking, culturally relevant content and standout out episodes like “USS Callister” and “San Junipero” have received a few Primetime Emmys apiece. Now that talents like Mackie and Abdul-Mateen are attached, fingers crossed that the next season will be just as blisteringly brilliant as the rest.
No release date has been confirmed yet, but Black Mirror Season 5 is expected to drop sometime in 2019.
Source: EW