With Underdogs, National Geographic throws the spotlight on nature’s most overlooked and misunderstood creatures—from mucus-coated grubs to the infamous velvet worm—with the irreverent help of Ryan Reynolds. Narrated by Reynolds and produced by his Maximum Effort studio in collaboration with the Emmy® and BAFTA Award-winning Wildstar Films, the five-part series trades majestic lions and soaring eagles for invisible frogs, butt-biting jackals, and some of the most hilariously unconventional survival tactics ever captured on camera. Premiering June 15 on National Geographic and streaming next day on Disney+ and Hulu, Underdogs is the latest in a long line of inventive natural history documentaries from Wildstar founders Mark Linfield and Vanessa Berlowitz.

Known for their work on Planet Earth, Frozen Planet, Queens, and America the Beautiful, Linfield and Berlowitz have built a career challenging the conventions of wildlife storytelling. In Underdogs, they bring that same cinematic mastery and ecological reverence to an entirely different corner of the animal kingdom. The result is a genre-bending series that combines jaw-dropping visuals, quirky narrative structures, and Reynolds’ trademark comedic flair—all while reinforcing the urgent need to protect Earth’s rich biodiversity, even when it’s slimy, sneaky, or strange.

In this conversation, Scientific Inquirer editor Marc Landas speaks with Linfield and Berlowitz about the making of Underdogs, the creative freedom that comes with documenting nature’s “Z-listers,” and how humor can be a powerful tool for conservation. They discuss working with Reynolds and his production company Maximum Effort, why being an “underdog” is a relatable message for audiences of all ages, and how their Wildstar Academy is helping train the next generation of wildlife storytellers.

Marc Landas: Yeah, it was really good. So, just at the beginning—Underdogs takes a humorous and very different approach to nature films. What inspired this approach to spotlight animals that are often overlooked or highlight the less glamorous aspects of animal life?

Mark Linfield: A lot of us have worked on series like Planet Earth and Frozen Planet—the big, so-called landmark series featuring lions, tigers, elephants, and all the classic “Big Five” animals. But many wildlife shows are starting to feel the same.

What really interests us are the small, creepy things in hedgerows or under stones. They often have the most amazing lives and the craziest behaviors. That’s where the fresh frontier of wildlife filmmaking is.

Some of these creatures are kind of gross, which made it all the more fun to approach this with a sense of humor. We wanted to reach a new audience and make it entertaining—especially for kids like your 8-year-old—because they are the future stewards of the planet. A comedic take on the unsung heroes of the natural world just felt right.

Vanessa Berlowitz: As soon as we started framing them as “underdogs,” Ryan Reynolds immediately came to mind. It was that whole Deadpool, rooting-for-the-underdog vibe. There was only one voice we wanted—but we didn’t think we’d get him.

What was so cool was that we made a sizzle reel with a sound-alike of Ryan, and our agent said, “You know, we represent his company. Let’s pitch it.” They loved it. Ryan loved it. He has a charity called Underdogs that supports underrepresented filmmakers, so the fit was perfect.

We asked if he’d be willing to narrate the sizzle—even before contracts were in place—and he did it in his trailer between takes on another project. That kind of thing is unheard of. When we got the recording back and dropped it into our sizzle, it was just genius. From day one, he was all in. That changed how we approached the series.

Mark Linfield: We worked very closely with his company, Maximum Effort, constantly balancing ideas around entertainment, comedy, and storytelling. When Ryan delivered narration, we even recut sequences to get the most out of his riffs. It made the series fresher, more different.

We hoped it would bring in a new audience. Wildlife aficionados might find the stories fresh because they focus on lesser-known animals. And people who don’t usually watch wildlife shows might be drawn in because it’s fun—and Ryan makes it fun.

Marc Landas: You kind of answered my next question about how the collaboration came about. I’ll have to tweak that one. You also did Queens, and that series had a very distinctive narrative voice. Obviously, Underdogs does too. Was it ever tricky to balance Ryan’s strong voice with the footage? You don’t want things to feel too glib, because there’s still a real message. Was there a balancing act?

Vanessa Berlowitz: Yes, but Ryan and his team have enormous respect for National Geographic and the science behind the stories. The scripts were carefully developed. We’d take a straight science story, figure out a comedic structure for shooting it, and then collaborate closely with his team.

Ryan was involved in script development throughout, and everything was fact-checked by National Geographic at every stage. When we got his final improvised narration—he really gets into character—we’d fact-check that too.

You’re right, we were very mindful of making sure his persona didn’t overpower the series. It’s not the Ryan Reynolds show—it’s Underdogs. He was very respectful of that and knew how to walk the line. In fact, sometimes he’d pull back himself and say, “I think this is where the animals should take the lead.” If a story was especially amazing or complicated, he’d play it straighter.

Marc Landas: You mentioned that many nature films focus on the “sexy” animals. But in Underdogs, you’re featuring less popular—but still fascinating—creatures. Did that give you creative freedoms you wouldn’t normally have?

Mark Linfield: Definitely. Not just in choosing animals with unusual lives, but also in how we styled each episode. One is framed like a video game. Another, called Terrible Parents, mimics 1950s parenting videos. There’s one called Unusual Suspects, where Ryan voices a macaque pulling together an Ocean’s 11-style team.

Each episode has its own distinct flavor. There weren’t any rules, which was incredibly liberating. In traditional natural history, there’s a formula: introduce the place, meet the animal, show the drama. Our North Star was: “Whatever we’d normally do—let’s do the opposite.”

Vanessa Berlowitz: It let us apply entertainment and comedy writing principles to our storytelling. Take the axolotl, for example. We’d told elements of its story before, but by framing it as a superhero origin story, and even referencing mythology, we were able to tell it in a totally new way.

Marc Landas: The footage was stunning—really beautiful shots throughout.

Wildstar Films: Thank you!

Marc Landas: The show’s tone is part of what makes it so great. It’s full of humor, but there’s a serious message too. What was your deeper intent with this series—beyond the narration and the visuals?

Vanessa Berlowitz: We’re deeply passionate about the natural world and concerned about how to keep audiences—especially young ones—engaged, especially with the current planetary crisis.

Celebrating biodiversity is critical. We’ve explored different ways to do this: working with David Attenborough, we used one approach; with Queens and Angela Bassett, we explored female leadership in nature. With Underdogs, we wanted to say: Don’t just care about lions and tigers. Learn to appreciate the beauty and value of all biodiversity.

It’s also relatable. Everyone has felt like an underdog. And we’re all animals too. By helping people see themselves in these animals, we thought the series would be more inclusive and emotionally resonant.

Some of these animals may be less flashy, but they’re clever, devious, effective—incredible in their own ways. This show reveals how much more diverse the natural world is than most people realize. And much of that diversity is under threat—sometimes before we even know it exists. This series is a celebration of all that richness.

Marc Landas: I’ve got two more questions. First, how did you select which animals to feature?

Mark Linfield: They had to feel “underdoggy”—weird, gross on the surface, but with a heroic or surprising trait. Some were great parents, others had unexpected abilities. Like the velvet worm—it might look like a slimy worm, but it can shoot silk and take down spiders. Each animal needed something unique and worth singing about.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t hard to find these stories. Over the years, while filming the big animals, we’d quietly collect underdog tales, unsure if we’d ever get to tell them. Turns out, this was our chance.

Vanessa Berlowitz: We also talked to scientists and asked for stories that had been considered “too gross” for traditional shows—like a koala feeding poop to its baby. Those stories have great science behind them, and we wanted to bring them to light.

Mark Linfield: The characters had to be compelling too—if they had eyes, expressions, a little “X factor.” Someday, instead of cuddly lions and tigers in stores, we hope to see plushies of Eric the Glass Frog or the velvet worm. Or the pearlfish that lives in a sea cucumber’s butt. (Laughs)

Marc Landas: Okay, last question. Both of you have invested a lot into developing new voices in wildlife filmmaking. Can you tell me about the Wildstar Academy? What advice would you give to aspiring nature filmmakers?

Vanessa Berlowitz: Wildstar Academy is a foundation we set up because our projects often span two or three years. We realized we could open those up as training opportunities for young people who wouldn’t usually have access to professional experience—especially from underrepresented groups. We’ve been lucky, and we want to give back.

We recruit annually and give participants hands-on experience in major productions to help launch their careers. And it’s been revolutionary. Some of our best new voices made their first films on an iPhone. It’s about storytelling. Watch a lot, analyze what works, and think about how to apply that to your own story.

Mark Linfield: Our dream is for participants to return to their home countries and make films about local ecosystems—in their own voice. They’ll make better, more authentic shows than we ever could if we flew in and tried to do it ourselves. They know the place. They have the sensitivity. They should be telling those stories—not us.

Marc Landas: Fantastic. Thank you both so much for your time. I really appreciate it. And again, the series is fantastic.

IMAGE CREDIT: National Geographic