Marvel goes horror in the first trailer for Hulu's Helstrom

Marvel has worn many hats on both the big and small screens: time travel, political thrillers, and post-apocalypses have all served its superheroes well. But it’s never quite nailed horror. Helstrom, set to debut on Hulu this October, is about to rectify that by bringing the scares in a big way – as shown by the first trailer shown during the show’s Comic-Con 2020 panel.

The Helstrom trailer (which you can see below) shows Elizabeth Marvel’s menacing serial killer Mother seemingly unleashing an unseen evil on the world despite being locked away at St Teresa's. 

Complicating matters further is the presence of her children, Daimon (subtle much?) and Ana Helstrom, who are confronted by strange red symbols around their mother’s cell and a devilish legacy which they perhaps aren’t quite ready to confront…

Why the sudden desire to go heavy on the horror at Marvel? "It started a few years back, we spoke about bringing a darker tone to the Marvel Universe on TV, and exploring some of the darker characters,” explained showrunner Paul Zbyszewski. “Helstrom was one of the ones that I enjoyed and I gravitated to that family story... It's a really bad Dad story, essentially, but we've grounded it a little.”

There's some uncertainty whether the show will feature in the MCU canon, that’s perhaps for the best. Judging by the trailer, it’s allowing them to get creepier and have more freedom when it comes to the scarier side of Marvel’s oeuvre – and one of its most disturbed family units.

Of the family dynamic, Zbyszewski teased: “It’s a family story, not just Damon and Ana and their mom, but it’s about an extended family. The family we’re born with and then the family we create. It’s a nature vs nurture story, about the stuff that we’re born with that we inherit and carry with us.”

All episodes of Helstrom will drop on Hulu on October 16. Interested? Be sure to check out the latest free trials and offers directly from Hulu.