The Captive’s War series by S.A. Corey is on its way to Prime Video! Eventually, that is, since these things take time, especially in the science fiction genre.
For those familiar with The Expanse, a new Prime series from the same authors (James S.A. Corey is a pen name for writers Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) and showrunners is welcome news.
Even better, The Captive’s War series is an entirely new universe, separate and distinct from The Expanse. With all the sequels, prequels, spin-offs, and wannabes out there, something unique is an exciting prospect.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t bode well for a potential continuation of The Expanse, a series that ended with three books’ worth of storytelling remaining.
On the bright side, this upcoming release is a good sign for the continued growth of the Science Fiction genre, especially in a more creative and intelligent direction.
The Creation of a New Content Company: Expanded Universe
What does that mean? Suggesting that the Science Fiction genre is possibly heading in a more intelligent and creative direction implies that the industry lacks both.
That’s entirely the point, at least when it comes to multifaceted shows. For instance, the MCU has absolutely worn out its audience in most respects. Movie/TV sequels, prequels, and spinoffs are harder to sell to the audience with each new iteration.
Science Fiction is already expansive, with everything from the epic opera-level Dune to the tight-packed vibe of Silo.
The Expanse is a primary example of complex scientific ideas and theories made coherent on a huge stage, with fantastic acting and sweeping visuals.
“On The Expanse we built a deep, immersive universe filled with great characters and intense, emotional stories — on a budget that wasn’t insane. And now we’re bringing that expertise to new storytelling universes and platforms.”
-Naren Shankar, Showrunner The Expanse
The kind of minds behind this feat of imaginative entertainment are exactly the minds you want leading the way.
Expanded Universe is more substantial than the status quo production company. It’s a written media publisher, gaming producer, and film/TV producer rolled into one.
It’s as much a result of The Captive’s War as the new series is a consequence of Expanded Universe.
What Will The Captive’s War Be About?
Again, this is a distinct and separate story, not related to The Expanse in any way. Also, unlike The Expanse, The Captive’s War is a series that is not finished. The name of the first book is The Mercy of the Gods, with the second book a work in progress.
Ever since HBO’s showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss chucked Game of Thrones into the wood-chipper feet first, prospective fans have been understandably cautious about kicking off a show based on a book series that isn’t complete.
Fortunately, the showrunners for The Captive’s War are not the same people. While I read the entire Expanse series, I haven’t had a go at The Mercy of the Gods yet (though it’s waiting patiently in my Audible library), so I’ll stick with a truncated synopsis:
“The Captive’s War follows a group of prisoners who rise from the ashes of catastrophe to destroy their conqueror’s society from within.”
It’s also based on the Book of Daniel, which explains the “captives to heroes” bit. This opens the door for some intriguing plot possibilities not explicitly addressed in the first book.
Daniel is a prophet who interprets dreams, some of which are apocalyptic, similar in scope to the Book of Revelations.
Who Will Star in The Captive’s War?
The Captive’s War has the go-ahead from Amazon, but casting is still a ways off. However, we can speculate based on past experience and patterns within the entertainment industry.
Naren Shankar, the showrunner on The Expanse series, is back for The Captive’s War and will probably try to pull in some of the same actresses and actors he’s already familiar with.
Steven Strait – James Holden
Dominique Tipper – Naomi Nagata
Wes Chatham – Amos Burton
Cas Anvar – Alex Kamal
Frankie Adams – Bobbie Draper
Shohreh Aghdashloo – Chrisjen Avasarala
Chad L. Coleman – Fred Johnson
Cara Gee – Camina Drummer
Keon Alexander – Marco Inaros
These actors played key, recurring roles throughout The Expanse, and it’s hard to imagine Naren Shankar not trying to tap some of them for roles in the new series.
Given the controversy surrounding Cas Anvar late in The Expanse’s run, we can safely cross him off the list. Wes Chatham was a fan favorite, however, as Amos Burton, while Dominique Tipper and Steven Strait both did well in their respective roles as primary characters.
Frankie Adams probably isn’t the best actress in the world, but Shohreh Aghdashloo was phenomenal as Chrisjen Avasarala. For now, as exciting as the prospect of a new Sci-Fi series is, we can only speculate on the characters.
Who Are the Showrunners?
Obviously, Naren Shankar is the top dog, having handled The Expanse and given his familiarity with Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. The latter two, as the authors, will probably receive an “executive producer” credit.
It’s also hard to imagine them not doing most of the screenplay, along with Shankar himself, who wrote much of the scripts throughout The Expanse. Expanding Universe is off to a very fresh start, so there are still plenty of roles to fill within the “chain of command,” so to speak.
Director Brock Eisner is also on board. During the six seasons of The Expanse, he directed more episodes than any other director, so his experience and capability are invaluable.
Naren Shankar and the authors were able to pull off something special with The Expanse. With so many production companies struggling to create even small, tightly constrained worlds with a minimal budget, The Expanse was surprisingly moderate expense-wise.
That’s the kind of thing that will make Amazon happy, especially if they pull in the same viewership numbers The Expanse was blessed with.
How Many Episodes Will There Be?
For now, everything surrounding The Captive’s War, outside of the new production studio and the showrunners, is speculation.
However, Naren Shankar has proven that he can do a lot with a little. For that reason, The Expanse was more episode-rich than many other big-name franchises on television right now.
The Expanse Seasons 1 through 5 featured between ten and 13 episodes, with only Season 6 being a budget aberration with six episodes.
It’s safe to say that The Captive’s War will probably feature between eight and ten episodes per season, assuming it gets more than a single season.
Of course, inflation is a thing, and The Expanse ended three years ago on a short season. It seems like everything is getting more expensive, and if costs are up, it could mean shorter seasons.
Where Can We Watch The Captive’s War When it Releases?
The Captive’s War will be a Prime Video exclusive, unlike The Expanse, which started out on the SyFy channel (the first three seasons) and ended on Prime.
Like most shows, you’ll probably be able to purchase seasons through other vendors, like Vudu, Apple TV+, etc, but watching each show’s release will require a Prime subscription.
On the bright side, you can get a feel for the overall world of The Captive’s War by watching The Expanse! With the same showrunners and authors working on both, the vibe will doubtlessly be familiar. At least, I sure hope so!
Watch The Expanse Online
