NBA, NFL Stars Back New Sci-Fi Anime 'Sentinel 6'

The Afro-futurist sci-fi anime series "Sentinel 6" is currently in development, with NBA and NFL professionals Michael Carter-Williams and Jamaal Williams serving as executive producers. Created by Pat Stout and the late Asa Palmer, the series is set in the year 2429, approximately 400 years after a devastating event known as the Great Phoenix War nearly wiped out humanity. This war, fueled by xenophobia and fear of empowered individuals called sentinels, left Earth in a post-apocalyptic state and vulnerable to exploitation.

The narrative follows the emergence of the Sentinel Six, a group of six young individuals—three men and three women—who collectively embody a powerful sentinel force. These defenders, comprising aspects like the mind and the sword, are awakened by an intergalactic terrorist's actions. The series, blending Afro-Futurism, TV-MA new adult themes, and sci-fi action-adventure, will consist of 11 to 12 thirty-minute episodes. LeSean Thomas, known for "Yasuke," wrote the pilot and is a consulting producer.

Carter-Williams and Williams fully funded the pilot episode in late 2025, following Palmer's unexpected death earlier that year. The project gained further momentum through a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2024, raising nearly $20,000 for a trailer. Production is now underway with Creative Freaks, an international studio headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, which won the bid among two dozen animation studios. Bang Zoom!, a Burbank-based voice-over studio, will lead the localization into Japanese.

According to Stout, the creators aimed to build an immersive world that resonates with audiences while offering escapism, partly inspired by the underrepresentation of Black characters in anime. "Sentinel 6" is intended to provide Black viewers with heroes they can connect with, reflecting their culture and experiences. Athletes are increasingly vocal about their passion for anime, with events like Crunchyroll's Anime Future Forum and collaborations involving Olympic athletes highlighting this trend.