Netflix is taking the Wild West in a wildly different direction this fall. The streaming giant has dropped a fresh image for Bass X Machina, its upcoming steampunk Western anime series, during the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. The show is set to premiere on November 3, and it promises to blend frontier justice with futuristic tech and supernatural threats.
The series draws inspiration from the real-life U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves, a legendary figure born into slavery who became one of the most effective lawmen in American history. Reeves is often credited as a possible inspiration for the Lone Ranger. But Bass X Machina takes that historical foundation and catapults it into a bizarre alternate reality—a Weird Wild West where outlaws ride alongside advanced machinery and monsters lurk in the shadows.
In the newly revealed image, Reeves is shown with a mechanical right arm crackling with energy bolts, ready to face off against a steampunk villain. The voice behind this cyborg lawman is Brian Tyree Henry, who also serves as an executive producer. Henry is no stranger to animated roles—he voiced Megatron in Transformers One and will return as Jeff Morales in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. He's also set to appear in The Batman Part II.
What Is 'Bass X Machina' About?
Set in a lawless frontier overrun by outlaws, advanced technology, and supernatural horrors, Bass X Machina follows Reeves as the only man capable of restoring order. To protect his family, he becomes judge, jury, and executioner—but the line between hero and monster blurs as he risks losing his humanity. The series explores his struggle to avoid becoming as brutal as the enemies he hunts.
The voice cast is stacked with talent. Janelle Monáe (Glass Onion) voices Glory, Tati Gabrielle (Mortal Kombat II) plays Dana, Cree Summer (Abbott Elementary) is Ahni, Chaske Spencer (Dark Winds) voices Lighthorse, Currie Graham (Reacher) plays Rivenbark, and Starletta DuPois (One Battle After Another) portrays Etta.
Behind the scenes, Bass X Machina is executive produced by LeSean Thomas, Jennifer Wiley-Moxley, and Chad Handley. The animation comes from Studio Mir, the South Korean powerhouse behind The Legend of Korra, Voltron: Legendary Defender, X-Men '97, and My Adventures With Superman. If you're a fan of those shows, you'll want to check out this exclusive sneak peek at the art behind Spider-Man and Daredevil's animated clash.
This isn't the first time Bass Reeves has been adapted for the screen—Taylor Sheridan's Lawman: Bass Reeves with David Oyelowo offered a more grounded take. But Bass X Machina is something else entirely: a steampunk fantasy that reimagines the Old West through a lens of gears, ghosts, and grit. For more on the genre, check out why these Western TV shows deliver big-screen action better than most movies.
With its unique blend of history and sci-fi, Bass X Machina is shaping up to be one of Netflix's most ambitious animated series. Mark your calendars for November 3—the Weird Wild West is calling.
