Netflix’s latest blockbuster,The Electric State,debuted on June 14, 2025, to a dismal Rotten Tomatoes score. Accumulating a meager 15% on the site’s Tomatometer, the film has been slammed by critics. However,the film, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, is still ambitiously setting itself up to head into a broader franchise.
An adaptation of the 2018 illustrated novel by Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag,The Electric Stateis set in an alternate 1990s America where robots have been outlawed. The storyline centers on a teenage girl who embarks on a mission to locate her missing brother, accompanied by a smuggler and a mysterious robot. Although intriguing on paper,The Electric Statehas been panned by critics. Yet, audiences have reacted much more favorably to the film, affording it a 74% on Rotten Tomatoes. Thisstark dichotomy between audience and critical receptionraises questions regarding the film’s potential to expand into a multifaceted universe, one that encompasses video games and possibly television series and sequels.
The Potential Sequel to ‘The Electric State’
The Electric State
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The prospect of any sequel film hinges on several factors, including viewership metrics, audience and critical reception, and the vision of filmmakers. While there is some divide in terms of audience and critical reception toThe Electric State,the film hassoared to the acclaimed #1 spoton Netflix’s weekly Global Top 10 Movies chart. In the week since its release, the film has accumulated over 25 million views. However, the numbers have to be considered in relation to the film’s production budget.With a reported budget of $320 million,The Electric Stateis one of Netflix’s most expensive films to date.
In addition toThe Electric State’s reception and metrics,the film’s ending does set up a sequel, especially considering that Cosmo stands up and begins walking, alluding to the fact that Christopher’s consciousness may live in him. However,the future ofThe Electric State,in terms of a sequel, remains uncertain. Neither the Russo brothers nor Netflix have provided any official confirmation regarding a follow-up film. In an interview withFilmhounds, responding to a question about future films, Joe Russo only said:
“We like building immersive worlds and the audience has to tell us.”
‘The Electric State’ Already Has a Video Game
Serving as the official prequel to the film, the game delves into the origin story of Michelle and her brother and is set in a retro-futuristic Midwestern America of the mid-’80s. It explores the siblings' childhood adventures with the robot Cosmo, providing additional context and depth toThe Electric State’s characters and their relationships, thus enriching the film’s storyline via an interactive experience for players. Netflix has also claimed that players do not need to be familiar with theThe Electric Statefilm to playThe Electric State: Kid Cosmo.
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Netflix’s decision to venture into a game for the film speaks to Netflix’s commitment towards transmedia storytelling, a strategy whereby a single story experience is told across multiple platforms and formats, ensuring an interactive experience for audiences and, through it, higher levels of engagement. WithThe Electric State: Kid Cosmo,Netflix is able to go one step further than passive viewership while simultaneously testing the waters for the film’s potential expansion into future films or series.
The Possibility of a ‘The Electric State’ TV Series
The universe thatThe Electric Statecreates sets up fertile ground for the narrative to be adapted into a TV series. The film’s world and characters constitute ideal material to be delved into in an episodic format. Spread across multiple episodes,a potential TV series could allow for deeper storytelling and more fully-fledged character arcs. It could also be a chance for Netflix to expand on Stålenhag’s original source material and appeal to a larger audience.
Chris Pratt Makes an Admission We All Knew About Most of His Movie Roles
Pratt dishes about some of the similarities between his ‘Electric State’ role and the character he is best known for portraying.
While the opinions of critics could be a damper onThe Electric State’s expansion into a TV series, the more positive reactions of viewers should also be taken into account. Given that audiences were more receptive towards the film, and the film only just scrapes at the surface of a complex world divided bythe war between humans and robots, a TV series would be the perfect way to answer and expand upon many of the questions raised byThe Electric State’s premise. However, similarly to their comments on the film, the Russo brothers have been vague regarding the future ofThe Electric State,saying only:
“We love the world-building and we certainly designed this world in a way that we thought could be explored further. But, other than the movie and the game, we’ll see what happens.”
Although only vague comments exist with regard to potentialThe Electric Statesequels or TV series,the film has still set itself up as the cornerstone of a potential franchise. The creation of a prequel video game, the Russo brothers not being completely closed off to the possibility of exploring a future film or series, and the rich world created in the film indicate the potential ofThe Electric Stateuniverse expanding. However, it will ultimately be the film’s financial performance and viewership metrics that determine the feasibility of such an expansion.The Electric Stateis streaming onNetflixright now.
