Dungeons & Dragons Deserves The Same Treatment As 1 Multi-Billion Dollar Franchise, But Its Netflix Show Makes It Unlikely
The complex narratives of Dungeons & Dragonsdeserve the same treatment as the stories within a certain multi-billion dollar franchise, but it is unlikely to receive such with Netflix's upcoming show. Though details have been scarce since its announcement, I have every confidence in Netflix's Dungeons & Dragons show, especially since Netflix is the first platform to give the tabletop a chance after Honor Among Thieves failed to launch the projects we had been hoping for. That said, I have some concerns regarding the franchise's future on the small screen.
Even with the pressure around Netflix's Dungeons & Dragons show to be successful, do believe that this could be the chance for the franchise to get its due. Dungeons & Dragons is one of the quintessential fantasy mediums that has shaped our culture, whose history and worldbuilding span across multiple modules and even genres. With all of that material, it would be great to see this series shine and be responsible for launching this franchise to the heights that sagas like the Marvel Cinematic Universe have achieved.
Dungeons & Dragons Deserves The MCU Treatment & Has The Material To Make It Happen
Dungeons & Dragons' Extensive Lore Is On Par With Marvel Comics
Dungeons & Dragons deserves to have as extensive a list of on-screen properties as the MCU, especially as the lore behind the tabletop is equally as broad. The MCU began with Iron Man in 2008 and has since spanned several decades of films and television shows based on the original Marvel Comics. That comic book canon, though, is only a few years older than Dungeons & Dragons, the former beginning in 1961 and the latter being created in 1974, but with just as much material to start as large of a media franchise.
The Forgotten Realms was first introduced to Dungeons & Dragons in 1987.
The Forgotten Realms' lore alone is quite vast, with new additions being published as recently as 2025 and more likely set for the future. Much like the MCU, those pieces of worldbuilding can be taken in isolation or connected to other works, creating a plentiful supply of stories for films and series that can cater to any audience. Dungeons & Dragons can easily yield itself to the MCU model, with the new show coming to Netflix being a great jumping-off point for how it could work.
Netflix's D&D TV Show Makes A Larger, Interconnected Franchise Possible
The Forgotten Realms Show Could Branch To Other Modules
A medium-spanning Dungeons & Dragons franchise could be made possible thanks to the Netflix show, as it could be the anchor point Iron Man was for the MCU. If Netflix's series is successful, it could act as a starting point for a new streaming franchise, especially because The Forgotten Realms covers many of the main aspects of Dungeons & Dragons' world and mechanics. It explores the lesser-known parts of that same module. From there, other modules can be put on the screen and introduced in either that same show or spinoffs.
The Dungeons & Dragons Show Is Exciting, But 1 Detail Makes Me Nervous It Will Repeat An Honor Among Thieves Disappointment
I was really excited to hear that Dungeons & Dragons is finally bringing about its long-awaited television series, but one thing worries me.
Projects like a Curse of Strahd show could become extensions of that aspect of the franchise and bring in horror elements to the more classic fantasy style, much like Werewolf by Night did. Conversely, modules like Monster Hearts or other less fantasy-centric storylines can be added in as standalone projects, allowing the franchise to expand its audience organically as Dungeons & Dragons has something for every player. With all of that being said, Netflix's series could inspire other projects around the tabletop, but likely not to the scale of the MCU.
Dungeons & Dragons Probably Won't Be As Big As The MCU For One Reason
Netflix's Streaming-Only Plan Could Limit A Potential Franchise
Any larger Dungeons & Dragons franchise would likely not meet the size of the MCU because Netflix simply does not do many traditional theatrical releases for its titles, limiting the scope to just the streaming platform. While Netflix has done theatrical releases before, it is usually in a limited capacity before the project's streaming debut. As a result, a Dungeons & Dragons franchise will not reach the heights of the MCU, as those big theatrical runs are such an integral part of the Marvel franchise.
Yet Netflix's Forgotten Realms show could set up its own wide-scale franchise much like The Witcher on the platform, with live-action and animated spinoffs. Of course, that can only happen if the first show is successful. Not every successful TV show needs to become a franchise, but if the Netflix Dungeons & Dragons series works, there should be more than enough opportunities to expand it into something even more exciting.
- Created by
- E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson, Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley
- First Film
- Dungeons & Dragons
- Latest Film
- Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
- First TV Show
- Dungeons & Dragons
- Latest TV Show
- Dungeons & Dragons
- Cast
- Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Rege-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Hugh Grant, Chloe Coleman, Daisy Head, Bradley Cooper, Jason Wong
The Dungeons & Dragons franchise is a fantasy adventure series based on the iconic tabletop role-playing game. The franchise includes both live-action and animated adaptations, with the most notable being the recent film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023), which brought the fantasy world of D&D to a broader audience with its blend of humor, action, and classic D&D elements. The franchise explores themes of heroism, friendship, and the unpredictable nature of adventuring in a magical world filled with dragons, wizards, and mythical creatures.
