Masters of the Air, the new World War II series starring Austin Butler, was released on Apple TV+: is it a sequel to Brothers in Arms and Band of Brothers?
Considered Apple TV’s biggest series to date (at least in terms of budget, estimated at $250 million), Masters of the Air chronicles the heroic and tragic efforts of the “Bloody Hundredth,” a legendary bomber group of the United States, which earned its name because of its numerous losses during chaotic daylight missions over Nazi Germany.
And it doesn’t just rely on its spectacular action scenes to thrill viewers, also boasting a five-star cast: it stars Austin Butler as Gale “Buck” Cleven, alongside Callum Turner as by John “Bucky” Egan, two friends who join the 100th in the early 1940s and vow to be the last men in the sky when the war ends. Together they join an impressive cast also including Barry Keoghan, Ncuti Gatwa, Nate Mann and Anthony Boyle.
Masters of the Air also arrives more than 20 years after the HBO series Brothers in Arms (or Band of Brothers in its original version), and ten years after Band of Brothers: Hell in the Pacific – but is it ‘a suite?
Is the Masters of the Air series a sequel to Band of Brothers?
No, Masters of the Air is not a sequel to Band of Brothers – but it should be seen as a complement to the very first series, as was 2010’s Hell in the Pacific.
The original series, also developed by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, followed “Easy” Company through World War II, from their paratrooper training in the United States to the surrender of Japan and the end of the conflict.
The two filmmakers teamed up again for Hell in the Pacific, focusing on the efforts of the Marines in the Pacific during World War II. Two years later, reports emerged that Spielberg and Hanks were considering a third series focused on the US Air Force. In 2013, HBO finally confirmed that a project based on the book Masters of the Air by Donald L. Miller was in development. And in 2019, Apple TV took over.
As for the connection between the series, it ultimately rests on the creators who direct them (Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and Gary Goetzman) and on the fact that they all take place in the same historical period. On the other hand, the stories do not intersect.
Masters of the Air has been available on Apple TV+ since January 26, 2024.
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