Stronger than Marvel: This sci-fi series will truly change the way you think about the multiverse

What is it about?

Jason Dessen is a physicist, professor, and father. One night, while walking home through the streets of Chicago, he is kidnapped and thrown into an alternate version of his life. The wonder quickly turns into a nightmare as he struggles to return to reality, then plunges into a hallucinatory landscape of the life he could have lived. In this maze of reality, he embarks on a harrowing journey to find his true family and save them from their most terrifying and difficult enemy: himself. Based on the novel of the same name by Blake Crouch.

Dark Matter, a series created by Blake Crouch with Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Connelly, Alice Braga… is available on Apple TV+.

who is he with

As always, Apple TV+ allows itself to achieve ambitions with its series. The platform here is no exception to the dark matter rule. Joel Edgerton – Owen Lars from Star Wars, Love – plays Jason, who sees his life completely turned upside down after waking up in a parallel universe where he has lost all his dependence, especially his family.

Opposite him, Jennifer Connelly (Requiem for a Dream, Top Gun: Maverick) creates his wife Daniella, as well as other versions of Daniella in the various worlds Jason crosses during his journey. He shares this journey with Amanda, played by Alice Braga (City of God, I Am Legend), a psychiatrist from another reality he is catapulted into, but also his companion!

We also get Jimmy Simpson ( Westworld ) as a brilliant scientist, Jason’s friend in almost every reality… and a young Oakes Fegley (seen in The Fabelmans ) plays Jason and Daniella’s son.

Is it worth checking out?

dark matterAdapted from Blake Crouch’s novel, the new sci-fi action series has everything you could hope for in a good sci-fi series: addictive adventure, a great cast, and interesting material that makes you think about the consequences of the choices we make.

Everything goes to hell when Jason is kidnapped and finds himself in a world where his life is not the one he knows. His wife is no longer the person with whom he built a life, and his son does not even exist! He realizes that he is at the heart of a terrible scientific conspiracy. He then discovers the existence of multiple worlds—a project he had been working on before the relationship—each representing different paths his life could have taken.

Dark Matter explores the fascinating concept of a multiverse, where every choice creates a new world. Blake Crouch uses this concept to question the nature of identity, destiny, and free will. The production is meticulous, with each visual detail designed to emphasize the sense of difference as Jason navigates these different realities.

Exciting and intelligent series

Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly give nuanced and powerful performances. Without overdoing it, they bring emotional complexity to their characters, who are faced with troubling existential truths. Their interactions, marked by regret and longing for what could have been, clearly enrich this narrative and add a layer of drama to the story. More than a science fiction series, Dark Matter becomes an absolutely fascinating practical exercise in philosophy.

Both a psychological thriller and an existential drama, Dark Matter is a series that not only entertains, but also provokes reflection, questioning our own reality and our choices. A mesmerizing and confusing journey through multiple worlds not to be missed.

The first two episodes of Dark Matter are currently available on Apple TV+, followed by one episode per week.