Tomb Raider fans slam new trailer confirming Lara Croft's return

A new Tomb Raider animated series is on the way to Netflix and judging by its recent teaser trailer, fans are not happy.

In October, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft arrives on Netflix and it takes place after the “Survivor” trilogy which ended with Shadow of the Tomb Raider in 2018. Without question, Lara Croft is one of the most iconic video game characters of all time since making her debut in Tomb Raider (1996).

Check out Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft teaser trailer below!

Being a lifelong fan of the Tomb Raider series since the very beginning, I have high hopes for this Netflix animated adaptation, though I can appreciate that post-2013, Lara Croft might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

That being said, Tomb Raider (2013) was a reboot and featured a young, naive and perhaps not as mentally strong Lara Croft. However, by the time we got to the third of the game of the “Survivor” trilogy, the aforementioned Shadow of the Tomb Raider, we were seeing classic characteristic signs of Lara, Croft, the duel-wielding badass that we know her to be.

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft takes place after the “Survivor” trilogy and while Lara hasn't seemingly exercised all her demons, she appears to be on a continued journey to hopefully become reminiscent of the Indiana Jones-inspired globetrotter.

“Lara Croft has abandoned her friends to embark on increasingly more perilous solo adventures. But she must return home when a dangerous and powerful Chinese artefact is stolen from Croft Manor by a thief with an uncanny personal connection,” reads the synopsis of the upcoming Netflix series.

“Her daring pursuit will take her on an adventure around the world and to the depths of forgotten tombs, where she will be forced to confront her true self and decide just what kind of hero she wants to become.”

What’s more, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft will no longer feature Camilla Luddington as the voice of Lara and is instead replaced by Hayley Atwell (Captain America: The First Avenger, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One), an unexpected change that will hopefully pay off.

Netflix recently released the latest teaser trailer for Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft and it seems many fans are not impressed, so far. At the time of writing, the trailer uploaded to YouTube has a ratio of 8,100 likes and 11,000 dislikes, yikes!

“Remember when she was a cool, confident and cocky seasoned explorer before they added trauma, grief, and daddy issues that made her practically insufferable?” said a user in the comments section of the YouTube video.

“Not only is this teaser hard to watch because of the quick cuts, but it isn't the Lara Croft we love,” said another as well as comments such as “All I want from this is Lara wielding her signature dual pistols” and “Nah, I'll pass.”

A pre-release trailer can either do a product service or disservice, only time will tell for this animated adaptation. Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft premieres on Netflix on 10 October 2024.