the martian

Sean Penn Is Gonna Try Life on Mars for Hulu, Will Probably Come Back With an Award

Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Since Matt Damon returned to Earth, Mars is getting a new resident Hollywood actor. Sean Penn will star in The First, Beau Willimon’s upcoming Hulu original series. According to Hulu, the show will be set in the near future, and will “follow the first human mission to Mars exploring the challenges of taking the first steps toward interplanetary colonization.” The First will tell the stories of the astronauts, their families, and the ground team on Earth. In January 2016, Willimon exited as House of Cards’ showrunner, reportedly to focus on writing a play. The First will be his, um, first series for Hulu, and Sean Penn’s, er, first TV role (lots of firsts!). It’s unclear whether Penn’s starring role will take him to Mars, but since the whole show is about the colonization effort — and it’s a Willimon show! — he’ll definitely be doing lots of long, impassioned monologues about Mars.

Sean Penn to Star in Beau Willimon Mars Show for Hulu