Blood Saints season 1
| Blood Saints | |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | |
| File:Blood Saints Season 1.jpg Promotional poster | |
| Showrunner | Marcus Vale |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Vesper+ |
| Original release | October 30, 2026 |
| Season chronology | |
The first season of the American adult superhero television series Blood Saints was created by Marcus Vale for the streaming service Vesper+. Produced by Black Halo Television, 87North Productions, Color Force, and Vesper Studios, the season consists of eight episodes and stars Jon Bernthal, Jodie Comer, Lakeith Stanfield, Adria Arjona, Boyd Holbrook, Jessica Henwick, Wagner Moura, Betty Gilpin, and Michael Shannon.
Set in a near-future society where superpowered individuals are controlled by corporate governments and private military organizations, the season follows former superhero Cain Maddox, also known as Saint Zero, who resurfaces after years in hiding following the massacre known as the Black Eden Incident. Hunted by Dominion Global and blamed for the deaths of hundreds, Cain forms an alliance with a group of unstable vigilantes and rogue enhanced individuals to expose the corruption behind the world's superhero system.
The season premiered on Vesper+ on October 30, 2026, with all eight episodes released simultaneously. It received critical acclaim for its performances, writing, action sequences, social commentary, and visual presentation, though its graphic violence and bleak tone polarized some critics. The series was renewed for a second season in November 2026.
Episodes
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "False Gods" | Marcus Vale | Marcus Vale | October 30, 2026 | |
| Years after the catastrophic Black Eden Incident destroyed an entire city district and turned him into the world's most wanted superhuman, former hero Cain Maddox lives hidden inside the industrial ruins outside Chicago. Dominion Global continues to publicly portray Cain as a mass murderer while secretly hunting him for classified data stolen during the disaster. Investigative journalist Mara Vale uncovers leaked surveillance footage suggesting Dominion manipulated evidence surrounding Black Eden and begins tracing connections to illegal enhancement programs. Meanwhile, Dominion's most dangerous operative, Iris Kane, massacres a strike team sent to terminate her after suffering severe psychological instability caused by years of experimentation. Dominion executive Adrian Veidt authorizes a nationwide emergency response after learning Cain may still possess evidence capable of collapsing the company. Former corporate icon Gabriel Rex publicly vows to hunt Cain down, while privately struggling with violent blackouts and deteriorating mental conditioning. After Dominion agents locate Cain's hideout, he is forced back into action during a brutal firefight that leaves dozens dead and exposes his survival to the world. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Burn the Halo" | Timo Tjahjanto | Elena Knox | October 30, 2026 | |
| Following the destruction of his hideout, Cain rescues Mara from Dominion operatives and reluctantly agrees to help expose the corporation. As anti-enhanced panic spreads across the country, Dominion uses manipulated media coverage to justify expanded military authority within major cities. Iris Kane, now actively hunted by her former handlers, tracks down Cain after discovering he survived Black Eden. Flashbacks reveal the early years of the Blood Saints program, where children with genetic abnormalities were subjected to brutal enhancement procedures inside Dominion laboratories. Gabriel Rex begins experiencing violent memory fractures suggesting portions of his past were artificially altered. Mara uncovers evidence connecting Dominion to the disappearance of hundreds of enhanced children over the last decade, while Veidt secretly prepares a classified contingency program designed to eliminate all unstable supers. Cain and Iris infiltrate a Dominion convoy transporting enhanced prisoners, resulting in a large-scale highway massacre that is later blamed on anti-government terrorists. By the episode's conclusion, Cain publicly reveals himself for the first time in years during a live Dominion broadcast. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Meat and Metal" | Gareth Evans | Marcus Vale & Elena Knox | October 30, 2026 | |
| Cain, Iris, and Mara travel into the underground districts beneath New Chicago after receiving information about a Dominion-operated trafficking facility. There, enhanced children are sold to private military contractors and foreign governments for experimentation. The group discovers cybernetically modified soldiers created from failed Blood Saints subjects, many of whom have been surgically altered beyond recognition. Gabriel Rex investigates Dominion independently after witnessing executives cover up civilian casualties caused during one of his public missions. Veidt authorizes the deployment of Titan Unit soldiers to eliminate everyone connected to the trafficking operation before information can leak publicly. The infiltration rapidly escalates into a violent siege as Cain and Iris battle Dominion forces throughout the collapsing facility. Mara manages to recover classified files proving Dominion intentionally destabilized enhanced subjects to justify stricter government control. Gabriel arrives too late to stop the massacre and witnesses children being executed by Dominion cleanup teams, further deepening his distrust toward the corporation. The episode ends with Cain releasing survivors into the city while Dominion declares martial law across several sectors. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Saints Don't Pray" | Lexi Alexander | Javier Cortez | October 30, 2026 | |
| Hiding inside an abandoned superhuman containment district beneath Chicago, Cain reunites with Naomi Cross, a former Blood Saints operative suffering from severe addiction to enhancement stabilizers. Naomi reveals that Dominion has spent years erasing unstable supers through covert executions disguised as accidents or terrorist attacks. Mara begins compiling evidence to expose Dominion globally while Iris investigates classified files connected to the deaths of her family during early enhancement testing. Gabriel Rex confronts Elias Voss regarding missing operational records from Black Eden but is warned to stop investigating. Flashbacks explore Cain and Gabriel's early friendship during Dominion training, revealing the corporation intentionally manipulated the two into becoming opposing public symbols. As riots erupt across multiple cities, Dominion deploys armed response units against civilians protesting enhancement laws. Cain and Iris attempt to rescue imprisoned enhanced civilians scheduled for termination, triggering a brutal prison uprising that spreads throughout the containment district. The episode concludes with Gabriel witnessing Dominion soldiers murder surrendering civilians during a cleanup operation, leaving him visibly shaken and questioning his loyalty for the first time. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Red Mercy" | Chad Stahelski | Marcus Vale | October 30, 2026 | |
| Dominion orchestrates a large-scale terrorist attack in downtown Los Angeles using chemically altered enhanced prisoners to justify emergency federal legislation. Cain intervenes publicly to stop the massacre after witnessing civilians being deliberately trapped inside collapsing buildings by Dominion response teams. Media coverage of the battle fractures public opinion as leaked footage contradicts Dominion's official narrative surrounding Cain. Mara releases documents proving Dominion supplied enhancement drugs to extremist groups overseas while secretly funding anti-enhanced political campaigns domestically. Gabriel Rex is ordered to assassinate Cain during the chaos but hesitates after seeing Dominion soldiers execute civilians to maintain control of the situation. Iris infiltrates a Dominion research facility and discovers Project Heavenfall, a classified program involving genetically engineered children designed to replace unstable supers entirely. Veidt manipulates world leaders into authorizing expanded military powers while privately preparing evacuation plans for senior Dominion executives. By the episode's conclusion, Gabriel openly defies Dominion during a live broadcast, publicly refusing orders to execute Cain and triggering a violent confrontation between corporate loyalists within the company. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Kingdom of Ash" | Sam Hargrave | Elena Knox | October 30, 2026 | |
| Gabriel tracks Cain to an abandoned industrial district outside Detroit in an attempt to force answers regarding Black Eden and Dominion's lies. Their confrontation escalates into a devastating battle across the collapsing city ruins, leaving hundreds dead and exposing Dominion's inability to control its own supers. During the fight, Cain reveals evidence showing Dominion altered Gabriel's memories after Black Eden to transform him into a loyal public weapon. Meanwhile, Mara successfully broadcasts classified Dominion archives across global networks, exposing decades of illegal experimentation, political assassinations, and corporate manipulation. Worldwide unrest erupts almost immediately as protests descend into violent anti-government riots. Veidt responds by activating emergency wartime protocols granting Dominion direct military authority across multiple territories. Iris leads an assault against a Dominion black-site prison holding enhanced civilians marked for execution, resulting in a brutal hallway massacre that becomes widely circulated online. As governments begin collapsing under public pressure, Elias Voss privately warns Veidt that Dominion is losing control faster than expected. The episode ends with Gabriel abandoning Dominion headquarters after violently attacking several corporate officials. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Black Eden" | Marcus Vale | Marcus Vale & Javier Cortez | October 30, 2026 | |
| Through extended flashbacks, the true events surrounding the Black Eden Incident are finally revealed. Years earlier, Dominion secretly constructed a reactor beneath a densely populated district to mass-produce enhancement compounds using unstable experimental energy sources. When the reactor began collapsing, Cain attempted to evacuate civilians after learning Veidt intended to deliberately trigger the disaster to justify expanded anti-enhanced legislation. Gabriel, still loyal to Dominion at the time, unknowingly assisted containment teams sent to eliminate witnesses. Following the explosion, Dominion manipulated surveillance footage and fabricated evidence framing Cain for the catastrophe while erasing all records implicating the corporation. In the present, Gabriel fully turns against Dominion after witnessing the complete footage recovered by Mara. Cain, Iris, Gabriel, and surviving rogue supers prepare an assault on Dominion Tower while global governments begin severing ties with the corporation. Veidt initiates the Seraph Protocol, activating dozens of unstable enhanced operatives hidden across major cities. The episode concludes with Dominion Tower entering military lockdown as riots and mass violence spread internationally. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Blood Saints" | Gareth Evans | Marcus Vale | October 30, 2026 | |
| As society collapses into chaos following the exposure of Dominion's crimes, Cain, Iris, Gabriel, Mara, and several surviving rogue supers launch a final assault on Dominion Tower. Veidt activates the Seraph Protocol fully, unleashing chemically unstable enhanced soldiers throughout the city in an attempt to maintain control through mass violence and fear. Gabriel sacrifices himself to disable Dominion's defense systems after confronting Elias Voss inside the tower's central command center. Iris battles Veidt inside the reactor core beneath the tower, ultimately killing him during a brutal fight that destabilizes the entire structure. Mara successfully broadcasts Dominion's classified archives worldwide, exposing the corporation's full history of experimentation, assassinations, trafficking, and engineered wars. As military forces abandon the city and civilians flee the destruction, Cain remains behind to prevent the reactor from triggering another Black Eden-level catastrophe. Dominion Tower collapses following a massive explosion, though Cain's body is never recovered. In a post-credits scene, surviving Dominion scientists relocate to an undisclosed facility and begin work on a new classified initiative known as Heavenfall. | ||||||
Cast and characters
Main
- Jon Bernthal as Cain Maddox / Saint Zero
- Jodie Comer as Mara Vale
- Lakeith Stanfield as Gabriel Rex
- Adria Arjona as Iris Kane
- Boyd Holbrook as Adrian Veidt
- Jessica Henwick as Naomi Cross
- Wagner Moura as Victor Soren
- Betty Gilpin as Evelyn Voss
- Michael Shannon as Elias Voss
Recurring
- Toby Wallace as Eli Mercer
- Sofia Boutella as Nyx
- Jeffrey Wright as Senator Graves
- Jacob Elordi as Ashen
- Dafne Keen as Lyra
- Daniel Kaluuya as Solomon Creed
- Carrie Coon as Dr. Helena Voss
- Scott Adkins as Titan
- Mackenyu as Ren Takeda
- Walton Goggins as Malcolm Reed
Production
Development
On January 12, 2025, Vesper+ announced that an original adult-oriented superhero television series titled Blood Saints was in development from writer and producer Marcus Vale. The project was described as a grounded and hyperviolent deconstruction of modern superhero franchises, celebrity culture, and private militarization. Vale was attached as creator, showrunner, and executive producer.
The series was officially greenlit in July 2025 with an eight-episode first season order. 87North Productions joined the project to oversee the action choreography and stunt design. According to Vale, the series was intentionally developed with no restrictions regarding violence, mature themes, or political subject matter, with the intention of creating “the closest thing possible to a criminal-war thriller disguised as a superhero series”.
Writing
The season was heavily inspired by political thrillers, cyberpunk fiction, military dramas, and revisionist superhero comics. Vale stated that the series was designed to portray superheroes as “products manufactured by corporations rather than symbols of hope”.
The writers explored themes including state violence, media manipulation, militarized policing, surveillance capitalism, celebrity branding, trauma exploitation, and radicalization. Several episodes intentionally avoided traditional superhero conventions by focusing on collateral damage, psychological deterioration, and the commodification of heroism.
Casting
Jon Bernthal was cast as Cain Maddox in September 2025. Marcus Vale stated that Bernthal was selected due to his ability to portray “barely controlled rage mixed with emotional exhaustion”.
Jodie Comer, Lakeith Stanfield, and Adria Arjona joined the cast shortly afterward. Boyd Holbrook and Michael Shannon were cast as the season's primary antagonists in October 2025.
Filming
Principal photography began in February 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, before later moving to Chicago and Prague. Large portions of the season were filmed using practical environments, practical blood effects, and large-scale stunt choreography rather than digital doubles.
Several action sequences required extended filming schedules due to their complexity, including the seventh episode's Black Eden flashback sequence and the finale's Dominion Tower assault.
Music
The season's score was composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The soundtrack blended industrial music, distorted electronic textures, orchestral horror elements, and aggressive synth percussion to reflect the show's violent tone and psychological themes.
Release
The first season of Blood Saints premiered on Vesper+ on October 30, 2026. All eight episodes were released simultaneously.
Reception
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an approval rating of 92% based on 118 reviews, with an average rating of 8.5/10. The website's critical consensus reads: “Brutal, politically charged, and visually relentless, Blood Saints delivers one of television's most uncompromising superhero stories.”
On Metacritic, the season received a weighted average score of 81 out of 100 based on 29 critics, indicating “universal acclaim”.
Critics praised the performances of Jon Bernthal and Adria Arjona, the action choreography, practical effects, and worldbuilding. The series was also noted for its bleak social commentary and refusal to romanticize superhero violence. However, some reviewers criticized the season's extreme gore, nihilistic tone, and graphic content.
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Stunt Coordination | Nominated |
| 2027 | Critics' Choice Super Awards | Best Superhero Series | Won |
| 2027 | Saturn Awards | Best Streaming Action Thriller Series | Won |
| 2027 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor – Television Series Drama (Jon Bernthal) | Nominated |
References
External links
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