Netflix’s Highly Anticipated Crime Thriller from ‘Power’ Creator

Picture: Netflix

Netflix has confirmed a May 2026 release for the new crime thriller Nemesis and also showcased a number of first-look images. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming series.

From creator and showrunner Courtney A. Kemp, who developed the popular Power Universe franchise at Starz, comes Nemesis, an all-new 8-episode crime thriller series. The series serves as a debut collaboration between Kemp and Netflix, born out of the massive, highly publicized overall deal she signed with the streamer back in 2021 following the monumental success of Power. The show reunites Kemp with Power collaborator Mario Van Peebles (New Jack City, Power Book III: Raising Kanan), who serves as an executive producer and director for the opening two episodes. Also executive producing are Chris Selak and Philipp Barnett. Tani Marole serves as both co-creator and executive producer.

“Tani and I are excited to bring a hard-hitting psychological crime drama to Netflix, specific in location but broad in universal themes of right and wrong, love and loss, and loyalty vs. self-preservation,” showrunner Courtney A. Kemp teased when the show was announced.

Filming on Nemesis commenced in Los Angeles in March 2025 and wrapped in July 2025.

What is the plot of Nemesis?

Expected to carry a TV-MA rating with its eight roughly 1-hour episodes, Nemesis is not your typical heist story; it’s a psychological crime drama. The series follows an expert criminal and a brilliant police detective, two men on opposing sides of the law. It explores psychological storytelling, thrilling life-or-death stakes, high action, and family dynamics.

At the center of this gripping cat-and-mouse game are Y’lan Noel as Coltrane Wilder, the unstoppable and expert criminal, and Matthew Law as Isaiah Stiles, the brilliant and immovable police detective. Coltrane’s illicit ambitions put him directly in the crosshairs of Isaiah, leading to a tense, explosive rivalry where both men’s loyalties and morals will be tested to their absolute limits.

The official logline reads:

Nemesis is the story of two men on either side of the law, the tale of what happens when an unstoppable force (an expert criminal) meets an immovable object (a brilliant police detective). What starts as a series that aims to subvert the heist genre at every turn, amped with thrilling life-or-death stakes, family dynamics and explosive action, actually gives birth to an exploration of what drives us, sustains us, and ultimately destroys us.

First-Look Images

Who is in the cast of Netflix’s Nemesis?

Nemesis boasts an enormous ensemble cast. The series is headlined by Matthew Law as Isaiah Stiles and Y’lan Noel as Coltrane Wilder. Check out the full cast list below.

Series regulars

Matthew Law (Abbott Elementary, A Fall from Grace) as Isaiah
Y’lan Noel (The First Purge, Lady in the Lake) as Coltrane
Cleopatra Coleman (Black Rabbit, Cobweb) as Ebony
Tre Hale (Platonic, Love and Monsters) as Darren
Domenick Lombardozzi (Tulsa King, Reptile) as Dave
Jonnie Park (The Hate U Give) as Chris
Ariana Guerra (CSI: Vegas, Madres) as Yvette
Gabrielle Dennis (A Black Lady Sketch Show) as Candace
Michael Potts (The Piano Lesson) as James
Sophina Brown (Shark) as Charlie
Cedric Joe (Space Jam, Women of the Movement) as Noah
Jeff Pierre (Shameless, Walker) as Malik

Guest stars

Moe Irvin (The Good Nurse, Grey’s Anatomy)
Quincy Isaiah (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty)
Jay Reeves (All American, The Six Triple Eight)
Mike O’Malley (Yes, Dear, A Good Marriage)
Stephanie Sigman (Miss Bala, Annabelle: Creation)
Khalilah Joi (A Violent Man)
Shane Johnson (Black Cadillac)
Siua Ikale’o (Chief of War)
Dawnn Lewis (A Different World)
Mark Feuerstein (Royal Pains, Practical Magic)
Chris Bauer (The Wire, True Blood)

Is there a trailer for Nemesis?

Netflix hasn’t released a full trailer just yet, but given the May 2026 release date, we expect a teaser to drop sometime in late March or April. Bookmark this page, as we’ll update it as soon as the footage goes live.

When does Nemesis premiere on Netflix?

All 8 episodes of Nemesis will debut globally on May 14, 2026.

What to watch while you wait

Looking for something to scratch that gritty crime itch before May 14th? We highly recommend diving into Courtney A. Kemp’s expansive Power universe if you haven’t already. Alternatively, if you’re in the mood for high-stakes psychological crime and heist thrillers currently streaming on Netflix, be sure to check out Lupin, Money Heist, or Ozark.

Are you looking forward to watching Nemesis when it lands on Netflix? Tell us in the comments down below!

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“Matthew Law” “Y’lan Noel” Nemesis
“Nemesis” Netflix Courtney Kemp