The Sopranos went off the air in 2007, and when star James Gandolfini died in 2013, most people assumed that was the last the world would hear of mobster Tony Soprano.  However, he's back and up against a different sort of challenge this time: expectations.

The first trailer just came out for the long-awaited Soprano origin story, The Many Saints of Newark, and it looks amazing.  Series creator David Chase co-wrote the movie, so you know it will get the details of the young mobster's life right.  It has an all-star cast, including Vera Farmiga (Livia Soprano), Corey Stoll (Junior Soprano), and Ray Liotta, Leslie Odom Jr., and Jon Bernthal in currently-unnamed roles.  There's also a young Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri, Silvio Dante, and Janice Soprano. 

It's almost impossible to watch this clip and not have sky-high expectations.  There's just one question, and the answer, fairly or not, will probably be what decides if this is a good movie:  Can Michael Gandolfini fill the shoes of his father?  The 22-year-old actor looks like the spitting image of James here, but will he be able to deliver a performance that honors his dad while making his own mark on the iconic role?  He has a limited acting resume, so we honestly don't know the answer, but we're looking forward to finding out (and watching for the first time young Tony sees a duck.)

The Many Saints of Newark opens in theaters (and for 31 days on HBO Max) on October 1, 2021.

All eyes will be on Michael Gandolfini.  (pic via cnn.com)