With Prime Video cancelling The Wheel of Time despite its positive claim, it is uncertain whether the streaming service’s adaptation of Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing novels, and the fantasy genre as a whole, have a secure future in the current television landscape. Released in 2023, Fourth Wing sees the rise of a reluctant dragon rider named Violet Sorrengail, who is pushed onto her path at the behest of her mother in hopes of defending their home of Navarre. Alongside grappling with her own health conditions and reluctance, Violet must also survive other students’ lethal attempts on her life.
Upon its release, Fourth Wing was a viral hit on BookTok, earning an overall positive reception and kickstarting the Empyrean novel series, of which three out of an expected five novels have been released. The novel’s worldbuilding, characters, and fantastical twists on the “dark academia” subgenre helped it stand out among other contemporary modern fantasy novels. In 2023, Michael B. Jordan’s production company Outlier Society and Amazon MGM Studios acquired the adaptation rights for the entirety of the Empyrean novel series, with Yarros being confirmed as one of the series’ executive producers.
Amazon’s Fourth Wing TV Show Already Had Major Challenges
Fourth Wing’s Fantastical Realm May Be Too Much For Television
While Fourth Wing and the Empyrean saga have continued to be a hit novel series, with the third novel Onyx Storm selling a 20-year high of 2.7 million novels according to publishing industry data provider BookScan, the ever-changing nature of the television industry could prove to be an obstacle that can send its television chances plummeting down to Earth. The novel series is centered on dragons and their riders, featuring large-scale fantasy battles between rival nations. As such, a Fourth Wing series would require an incredibly hefty budget and dedication to VFX in order to bring it to life.
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The wider Empyrean saga’s dedicated fanbase itself could also prove to be an obstacle for the series. It is undoubtable that Fourth Wing has an incredibly passionate fandom, from the supportive fans who made it successful on TikTok by sharing their love of the series, to the artists and cosplayers who took painstaking care in using the novel’s descriptions to create artwork that visualizes theworld long before any official material has depicted it. They’ll likely have high standards for the series once production begins, when compared to the ideas they have formed over several years.
Fourth Wing’s Adaptation Is Even More Worrying After Wheel Of Time’s Cancellation
Despite Positive Acclaim, The Series Was Unceremoniously Canceled In May
Furthermore, recent developments with Prime Video’s other fantasy titles cast further doubt on Fourth Wing‘s chances of becoming the next television fantasy hit. In 2021, the streaming service set out to bring the ambitious, high-concept world of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time to screens after many false starts. The Wheel of Time is a tale of a world where fate is determined by the titular Wheel, as the state of the universe is cyclical, and few have the power to shift their existence.
Despite dealing in such high-concept themes,The Wheel of Time was a critical hit for Prime Video, with the consensus of each season ranging above 80% and rising with each new batch of episodes. However, while the series had grown in critical appreciation, it was not enough to save the series from cancellation, with Prime Video confirming it would not progress further in May 2025. Ultimately, The Wheel of Time was cut short, only adapting 5 of the 15 overall novels.
The Wheel of Time stands as one of the best-selling fantasy series of all time that spans several media, even before the television adaptation aired, and had a dedicated fanbase who had supported the series for 25 years. Despite this acclaim and prestige, even The Wheel of Time wasn’t spared from Prime Video’s business reorganization after having proved itself for three seasons. Because of this, many may fear that a less established series may not be given a similar chance to prove itself, and could be cut short even earlier.
The Fantasy TV Boom May Be Over
The Genre Is Seemingly Losing Prominence With Streamers
Beyond Prime Video, the fantasy genre is struggling on other streamers. At Disney+, Willow was cancelled and removed from the service after a single season, despite the season finale teasing plans for a three-season run. Meanwhile, Netflix cancelled Shadow & Bone after two seasons despite strong fan support, viewership, and plans for a spin-off focused on the Six of Crows duology, while The Witcher will come to an end with its fifth season.
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Some popular recent book series that have been acquired for television adaptations have struggled to even enter production. Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses novel series was acquired by Hulu in 2021, but was cancelled in February 2025, while other novel series such as Mistborn and Eragon have similarly struggled in their own productions. As such, it seems that most streamers are pivoting away from the fantasy genre, potentially bringing the “fantasy TV boom” ushered in by Game of Thrones to a close.
Why There’s Still Hope For Amazon’s Fourth Wing TV Show
The Series Could Capitalize On What Helped Past Series Stand Out
However, while the future of fantasy on television may seem to be winding down, there are also signs that it is simply in a period of transition. Though several series have been brought to a close, the world of Game of Thrones is still going strong with both House of the Dragon and the upcoming A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms spin-off, while Disney+’s Percy Jackson & The Olympians has already been renewed for a third season. Meanwhile, Netflix has dedicated itself to a complete adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender and has heavily promoted its One Piece adaptation.
Even Prime Video hasn’t completely abandoned the fantasy genre, as seen with their continued support of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. While its five-season commitment has earned it the distinction of being one of the most expensive television shows ever made, the series was renewed for a third season in February 2025, with production beginning in May 2025. The streamer has even acquired the rights to Lauren Roberts’ Powerless novel series, with the intention of adapting the novels to television, showing their continued interest.
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Furthermore, Fourth Wing has already proven itself to be a modern fantasy juggernaut akin to The Hunger Games and Twilight, thanks to its viral popularity. This pre-established fanbase and the lure of another darker, more mature fantasy title to newcomers could allow it to capitalize on the same qualities that helped both Game of Thrones and The Witcher stand out upon their debuts. Because of these factors, Fourth Wing may be able to soar above the pitfalls that brought The Wheel of Time to a halt.
