Jennifer Lopez returns to the action genre with “Atlas” this week, and she’s got a pretty stacked team backing her up.
Now streaming on Netflix, “Atlas” follows Atlas Shepherd (Lopez), a government analyst who has spent years hunting Harlan (Simu Liu), an AI that went rogue and became a terrorist bent on taking over the human world. Atlas has a deeply personal history with Harlan, so when he unexpectedly turns against her and all humans, it creates a distrust in her of all AI.
So, when Atlas is forced to work with an AI-based robotic suit to catch Harlan and survive a foreign planet, she’s pretty upset, to say the least. But this AI is determined to get her to trust and work with him.
Here’s who you might recognize in the film.
Atlas Shepherd (Jennifer Lopez) — The namesake of the movie, Atlas is at the center of everything in this film. She’s played by the one and only Jennifer Lopez.
Harlan (Simu Liu) — Harlan is an AI terrorist bent on taking over the world. He’s played by Simu Liu, who most fans will recognize from “Barbie” and Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”
Colonel Elias Banks (Sterling K. Brown) — Colonel Banks is leading the mission to capture Harlan, and is thoroughly annoyed by Atlas, but he still recognizes how important she is. He’s played by “This Is Us” and “American Fiction” star Sterling K. Brown.
Smith (Gregory James Cohan) — Smith is the friendly AI that tries to persuade Atlas to trust and work with him. He’s voiced by Gregory James Cohan, who’s largely been a background character in projects up to this point.
General Jake Boothe (Mark Strong) — General Boothe is the one who brings Atlas in on the mission to capture Harlan, and oversees operations. He’s played by Mark Strong, who you’ll recognize from films like “Sherlock Holmes,” “Shazam!” and “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” among many others.
Casca (Abraham Popoola) — Casca is another AI, and basically Harlan’s right-hand not-man. He’s played by Abraham Popoola, who starred as Dag in “The Marvels,” as well as projects like “Andor,” “Cruella” and “Morbius.”
Val Shepherd (Lana Parilla) — Val Shepherd is Atlas’ mother and — spoilers — the one who created Harlan. She’s played by Lana Parilla, who’s most recognizable as the Evil Queen from ABC’s hit series “Once Upon a Time.”
