Snow in Buenos Aires isn't just rare. It’s basically impossible. So, when the first flakes start falling in the opening scenes of the upcoming Netflix series The Eternaut, the locals in the story aren't just confused—they’re already dead. This isn't your typical "aliens blow up the White House" kind of story. It's much, much weirder than that. Honestly, if you haven't grown up in Argentina, you might not realize that El Eternauta is basically the holy grail of Spanish-language graphic novels. It’s their Watchmen. It’s their Star Wars. And Netflix is finally bringing it to a global audience with Ricardo Darín—the absolute king of Argentine cinema—stepping into the lead role of Juan Salvo.
The stakes are sky-high here. This isn't just about a streaming giant trying to find its next Squid Game. It’s about adapting a story that was written in the late 1950s by Héctor Germán Oesterheld and illustrated by Francisco Solano López. A story that, quite tragically, became a mirror for the real-life political horrors that followed in Argentina.
What is The Eternaut actually about?
Imagine you’re sitting at home playing cards with your friends. Suddenly, silence hits the street. You look out the window and see a glowing, phosphorescent snow falling gently from the sky. It looks beautiful, right? Wrong. Anyone touched by a single flake drops dead instantly. That’s the "lethal snowfall" that kicks off the Netflix series The Eternaut. It’s a terrifyingly quiet apocalypse. No explosions. No sirens. Just a city full of corpses and a few survivors trapped inside their homes, wondering if the air itself has turned against them.
Juan Salvo, played by Darín, is one of those survivors. He has to craft a makeshift hazard suit—which has become an iconic image in Latin American culture—just to step outside. But the snow is only the beginning. The "snow" is a biological weapon deployed by an extraterrestrial force known only as "The Them" (Los Ellos). These invaders don't even do their own dirty work. They use "Beetles," "Gulys," and "Manos" (humanoid beings with dozens of fingers) to do the fighting for them.
The sheer scale of this production is massive. Netflix filmed on location in Buenos Aires, turning familiar landmarks like the General Paz Avenue and the River Plate Stadium into desolate battlegrounds. It’s haunting to see these places, usually teeming with millions of people, rendered totally silent.
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Why Ricardo Darín is the perfect Juan Salvo
Casting is everything. If they had picked a generic action star, the whole vibe would have shifted. But Ricardo Darín brings a specific kind of "everyman" weariness that the role demands. You’ve probably seen him in The Secret in Their Eyes or Argentina, 1985. He doesn't look like a superhero. He looks like a guy who just wants to protect his wife and daughter. That’s the core of the Netflix series The Eternaut. It’s not about a chosen one with special powers; it’s about collective resistance.
The director, Bruno Stagnaro, is also a huge deal. He directed Pizza, birra, faso and the legendary series Okupas. He knows how to film the grit and the soul of Buenos Aires. He isn't interested in making a polished, Marvel-style blockbuster. He wants it to feel real, sweaty, and desperate.
The dark history behind the fiction
You can't talk about this show without talking about what happened to its creator. This is where it gets heavy. Héctor Germán Oesterheld wrote the comic between 1957 and 1959. Years later, during Argentina’s "Dirty War" in the 1970s, Oesterheld and his four daughters were "disappeared" by the military dictatorship. They were never seen again.
The story of a small group of people fighting against an overwhelming, invisible, and cruel oppressor stopped being a sci-fi trope and became a lived reality for thousands of Argentines. This history gives the Netflix series The Eternaut a weight that most sci-fi shows simply don't have. When characters in the show talk about "disappearing" or "resistance," those words carry a specific, painful resonance in South America.
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- The Suit: The DIY diving suit Juan Salvo wears isn't just gear; it’s a symbol of survival against the odds.
- The Invaders: We rarely see the true masters. They control others through "teledirectors," gadgets implanted in the back of the neck.
- The Time Travel: Without spoiling too much, the title "The Eternaut" refers to a "lost traveler of the ages." Juan Salvo isn't just fighting for his city; he's fighting through time itself.
How this compares to other Netflix sci-fi
A lot of people are going to compare this to Dark or The 3 Body Problem. It’s got that high-concept, brain-bending flavor. However, The Eternaut feels more grounded in physical struggle. It’s more of a survival thriller than a philosophical debate. You’re watching people try to figure out how to find canned food without touching a snowflake. It’s claustrophobic.
Netflix has been pouring money into international local-language content because that’s where the growth is. But this feels different from a typical "regional" show. This is their first major Argentine sci-fi production of this magnitude. They are betting that the universal themes of family and resistance will translate globally, just like the themes in Money Heist did.
The production design looks incredible from the teasers. The "Manos"—those multi-fingered aliens—have been realized with a mix of practical effects and CGI that looks genuinely unsettling. In the original comics, the Manos were tragic figures because they were also slaves to "The Them." They only followed orders because a "death gland" would kill them if they felt fear or disobeyed. It’s that kind of nuance that makes the story special.
Addressing the "remake" skepticism
Is it too old? Some fans of the original 1957 comic were worried. They thought a modern update might ruin the 1950s aesthetic. Stagnaro and the team seem to have balanced this by setting it in a recognizable "near-present" or timeless version of Buenos Aires. It doesn't feel like a period piece, but it keeps the soul of the source material.
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Honestly, the biggest challenge isn't the tech or the timeline. It’s the ending. The original comic has one of the most famous, circular cliffhangers in literature. Whether the Netflix series The Eternaut sticks to that or tries to expand into a multi-season franchise is the big question.
What you need to do before watching
If you want the best experience, don't go in expecting Independence Day. This is a slow burn. It’s about the psychological toll of an invasion.
- Check out the original art: Look up Francisco Solano López’s illustrations. The black-and-white contrast is beautiful and will give you a sense of the show's visual DNA.
- Watch Darín’s previous work: If you haven't seen Argentina, 1985, watch it. It helps you understand why he is such a monumental figure in Argentine culture.
- Brush up on the "Oesterheld" story: Knowing the tragic fate of the author makes the viewing experience much more profound. It’s not just a show; it’s a tribute to a man who paid the ultimate price for his beliefs.
This series is poised to be a massive hit for anyone tired of the usual tropes. It’s gritty, it’s political, and it’s deeply human. When that lethal snow finally starts falling on your screen, just remember: don't touch it.
Keep an eye on the release date, which is expected to be mid-2025. You’ll want to watch this one the day it drops to avoid the inevitable spoilers about the "Manos" and the true nature of "The Them." Prepare for a version of the end of the world that feels uncomfortably close to home.
The best way to get ready is to dive into the lore of the "Teledirectors" and the "Gulys"—the biological puppets of the invaders. Understanding that the enemies are often just other victims makes the conflict much more complex than a standard "us vs. them" narrative. Pay attention to the sound design, too. In a world where the air is lethal, silence is the scariest thing you’ll hear.