Stream of the Day
‘Bass X Machina’ hunts outlaws, monsters, robots
A steampunk Wild West of war machines and supernatural terrors comes alive in an animated series debuting today, writes GUIDO RUSSO.
History takes a steampunk detour in Bass X Machina, an adult animated series that reimagines pioneering Black lawman Bass Reeves amid outlaws, machines and supernatural horrors.
The series is streaming on Netflix from today (3 November 2026).
In this alternate American frontier, Bass hunts criminals, decides their fate and carries out the punishment himself. Every decision intended to protect his family risks driving away the people he is fighting to save.
The historical Bass Reeves is believed to have been born enslaved in Arkansas around 1838. He became free after the Civil War and worked as a farmer, scout and tracker before becoming a deputy US marshal in 1875.
Reeves served the federal court for the Western District of Arkansas, which held jurisdiction over Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma. He became one of the first known Black deputy US marshals west of the Mississippi and spent 32 years pursuing fugitives across the region.
In a 1901 newspaper interview, Reeves reportedly said he had made more than 3,000 arrests. Historical accounts describe him using disguises to approach suspects and memorising warrants because he could not read. Despite his long career, Reeves remained largely overlooked in popular portrayals of the American West.
Bass is voiced by Oscar nominee Brian Tyree Henry, whose roles include Miles Morales’s father in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and D-16 (the future Megatron) in Transformers One. Janelle Monáe (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) plays Glory, while Tati Gabrielle (The Last of Us) voices Dana.
The cast includes Cree Summer (Rugrats, A Different World) as Ahni, Chaske Spencer (Echo) as Lighthorse, Currie Graham (NYPD Blue) as Rivenbark, and Starletta DuPois (The Notebook) as Etta.
LeSean Thomas, whose previous work includes Yasuke and Cannon Busters, created Bass X Machina. South Korean animation company Studio Mir, which worked on X-Men ’97, handles the animation. Original music comes from Roman GianArthur and Nate Wonder at Wondaland.
* Watch the trailer for ‘Bass X Machina’ here.
* Guido Russo is writer and contributor for Gadget.
