Netflix's Sweet Tooth adapts the DC/Vertigo story from Jeff Lemire about a post-apocalyptic world where a young boy, Gus, struggles to keep himself safe, all while understanding the human condition. As a half-human, half-deer, he's part of a hybrid society that's being hunted by people who blame them for a deadly pandemic that's been dwindling the population and giving rise to more hybrids being born. With the first season available now, let's break down the cast and characters involved.
Gus (Christian Convery)
Gus is the main character who has been groomed to treat the outside world as a wilderness of sorts. Stuck in his cabin in Nebraska, he's been taught that people are evil and he should hide himself away from the outside world as much as possible. Tragedy soon strikes with humans wanting Gus for various reasons: some think he's a messiah with a divine purpose, others want him dead and some want to experiment on him for a cure.
Here, he wants to go to the Preserve to meet others like him. Christian Convery portrays the hopeful character and fans have already seen the talents of this 11 year-old in comic book adaptations such as Legion, Lucifer and Venom.
Gus' Dad (Will Forte)
Gus' paranoid and overprotective father was a key player in the books, raising him to stay in their zone. He believes Gus will be killed as soon as mankind gets wind of him, although outside forces realize later on that he's harboring a lot of secrets, not just regarding Gus' origin, but the overall cause of the pandemic, which is known as the "Great Crumble" in this adaptation.
The show will once more have him laying key rules down and he'll be played by comedian Will Forte, who's best known for work in the MacGruber series, 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live, Bob's Burgers and The Last Man on Earth.
Tommy Jepperd (Nonso Anozie)
Jepperd was another main player in the comics, saving Gus from hunters and then embarking on a unique quest with him. The ex-hockey player became the boy's guardian after losing his family too, but their road became filled with sinister twists and turns. He taught Gus about trusting people, the disconnect between humans and hybrids and also, how to process loss.
Jepperd's an elite fighter and gunman, and will be fashioned as Gus' protector once again in the show. More so, the trailers already indicate Gus will be inspiring him to be a better man. He'll be played by Nonso Anozie who's been in Artemis Fowl, Zoo and last but not least, Game of Thrones as the merchant Xaro Xhoan Daxos of Qarth.
Dr. Aditya Singh (Adeel Akhtar)
In the books, Singh was a scientist who used deception to get hybrids brought to his military base for study. He wanted to dissect them to find a cure for this plague, totally broken after it cost him his own family. Eventually, he began to reconsider his actions as he realized the hybrids still had a degree of humanity to them.
The trailer does show he's a bit more willing to compromise his cause, painting him in an even more human light as a family man. He'll be played by Adeel Akhtar, who's been in Enola Homes, Killing Eve and The Night Manager.
General Abbot (Niel Sandilands)
Abbot was the military chief Singh was working under to find the cure and he cut a most sadistic figure, killing friends, family and strangers in order to achieve his goals. He hated hybrids because he felt they ruined the world he valiantly fought to protect, and the trailer perfectly teases him and the "Last Men" in a bloody light, hinting that he's torn between wanting the hybrids experimented on and wanting them totally killed off.
He's also Jepperd's archnemesis, as they have different views on the future, which is the likely path this show with follow. Neil Sandilands will be taking on the role, with fans recognizing him as the Thinker in The Flash, The 100 and News of the World with Tom Hanks.
Rani Singh (Aliza Vellani)
Rani is Aditya's wife and is actually a character not seen in the comics. He relayed his past to Gus and Jepperd, so the show now has a chance to tread new waters and showcase her plight. It'll help paint her husband in a more sympathetic light, especially since there's a haven for others like her, which pushes him further to find a cure.
It seems they've been victimized in the trailers, which means she'll more than likely be a catalyst or moral compass for him. Aliza Vellani will play the character after roles in Marvel Super Hero Adventures, Supernatural, Charmed and The Twilight Zone reboot.
Bear (Stephanie LaVie Owen)
Bear's the fierce leader of the Animal Army -- a band of orphaned teenagers devoted to protecting hybrids. Their path crosses, and then quickly merges, with Gus and Jeppard's, but it's way different from the comics as this cult actually had a hatred for hybrids as part of some religious, fanatic view.
Instead of purging them here, Bear may end up being a hero to the hybrid nation. She'll by portrayed by Stephanie LaVie Owen, who's been in the Sex and the City prequel, The Carrie Diaries, The Wilds and another Netflix series with a religious end-of-days message, Messiah.
Aimee (Dania Ramirez)
Aimee is another new addition not found in the books, with this story shaping her as a former therapist who finds a noble new purpose in a changed society. She's helping other hybrids in the trailers, so it seems she considers them miracles, like Gus' dad did, and not freaks.
She may well end up bonding with Jepperd, riffing off of the role Lucy had from the books as someone who helped Jepperd believe in the hybrids. Dania Ramirez takes on the role after appearing in Heroes, Jumanji: The Next Level, Once Upon A Time and of course, as Callisto in X-Men: The Last Stand.
Available now on Netflix, the eight-episode first season of Sweet Tooth stars Nonso Anozie, Christian Convery, Adeel Akhtar, Stefania LaVie Owen, Dania Ramirez, Aliza Vellani and Neil Sandilands, with James Brolin and Will Forte.