First Look at Netflix’s ‘Kennedy’: Michael Fassbender Leads the U.S. Version Of ‘The Crown’

Photo Credit: Netflix

Netflix has unveiled the first official look at its ambitious new historical drama series Kennedy, offering fans a glimpse of Michael Fassbender in character as Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., the formidable patriarch of America’s most iconic political dynasty.

Currently filming in London, the eight-episode first season is being billed as the American equivalent of The Crown. It chronicles the improbable rise of Joe and Rose Kennedy (played by Laura Donnelly) and their nine children beginning in the 1930s, exploring the family’s towering ambitions, intense rivalries, private scandals, and profound tragedies that helped shape modern America.

Fassbender stars as the self-made multimillionaire and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, with key supporting roles including Nick Robinson as Joe Kennedy Jr. and Joshuah Melnick as a young Jack Kennedy. Additional cast members include Imogen Poots, Saura Lightfoot-Leon, and more.

The timing is particularly notable as Hulu has also recently entered the Kennedy space with the Ryan Murphy-produced limited series Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, which dramatizes the glamorous yet tragic relationship of JFK Jr. and his wife. This marks the second major Kennedy-themed series in development across rival streamers.

Netflix is clearly hoping lightning strikes twice. The Crown proved to be one of the streamer’s biggest and most prestigious successes, drawing an estimated 73 million households worldwide since its 2016 debut, frequently topping charts (including 107 million viewing hours for Season 5 in its first five days), and earning 21 Emmy Awards. The series is Netflix’s most decorated series to this day and they would love for the formula to work twice.

Produced with high-end period detail and sweeping scope, Kennedy promises an intimate, unflinching look at power, legacy, and the personal cost of greatness. The series is expected to arrive on Netflix in late 2026 or 2027.