Despite the growing popularity of the genre, the state of fantasytelevision has been rocky for a while — and 2025 confirmed all the ways it needs to change. The massive success of Game of Thrones prompted streamers to look for the next big fantasy hit on the heels of season 8. However, nothing has quite lived up to HBO’s adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s books.
Although the number of fantasy shows available has increased in recent years, few of them have reached the genre’s full potential. 2025 has been a harsh reminder of that, highlighting how difficult it’s become to fully invest in Hollywood’s recent offerings.
Cancellations Like The Wheel Of Time’s Make It Hard To Invest In Unfinished Fantasy Series
Moiraine in The Wheel of Time
One of the biggest problems plaguing fantasy on TV is how often and quickly shows are canceled — and this is an issue that extends to other genres. However, it’s especially prevalent for fantasy, as doing the category justice tends to be expensive. As soon as streamers and networks sense those high budgets aren’t paying off, they’re likely to reevaluate their offerings.
This means even well-known fantasy titles with dedicated followings are at risk of being axed. 2025’s Wheel of Time cancellation is probably the most grievous example of this happening in recent years, and it serves as a wake-up call. It’s especially tragic that The Wheel of Time had finally started to address its biggest criticisms and improve just before its run was cut short.
Of course, that’s a major downside of basing series’ futures on the performance of just a few seasons (and only looking at that performance for a set number of days and weeks after release). These titles aren’t given adequate time to find their footing or audience, and they’re often canceled as soon as they do.
This is why so many well-reviewed, high-quality fantasy shows don’t make it past a season or two. Just look at series like Kaos, My Lady Jane, Warrior Nun, and Shadow and Bone. All of these titles benefit from strong casts, impressive production quality, and committed fan bases. Several even sparked fan campaigns to undo their cancellations.
Despite it all, these series remain unfinished, creating obstacles for future releases. With so many fantasy shows cut short, viewers are skeptical about investing time in series that aren’t complete. This is a dilemma, as it means new projects don’t receive high viewership when they debut, leading to a disappointing cycle.
2025’s Newly Announced Adaptations Mean Nothing If They Stay In Development
Unfortunately, there’s plenty of uncertainty about whether fantasy projects will make it from development to the screen, as many exciting titles never get that far. Countless fantasy and romantasy adaptations have been announced over the past decade, with many of them winding up stuck in development hell.
There’s been plenty of talk about Prime Video’s Fourth Wing show in 2025, but the year has brought minimal updates when it comes to casting or release plans. It seems like HBO Max’s Harry Potter remake is one of the few new fantasy series to make speedy progress, but that’s no surprise, since it’s based on a proven IP.
Otherwise, Hollywood’s reluctance to prioritize fantasy contributes to viewers’ skepticism. It’s hard to get excited about the genre, even when big announcements happen. And shows that do successfully make it to the screen aren’t devoid of problems, either.
Streaming’s Long Waits And Release Models Are Hurting The Genre’s Biggest Shows
Even with all the challenges facing fantasy television in the 2020s, several titles are still finding success. But even the genre’s biggest hits have their own problems, mostly because of streaming’s approach to TV. A huge complaint of the streaming era is that series take too long to release new seasons, and I’d argue this is one thing preventing the “next Game of Thrones” from emerging.
Part of what made Game of Thrones a mainstream hit was its ability to fuel water-cooler conversations, and its regular release schedule kept that going. Other big fantasy titles, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, and The Vampire Diaries, all benefited from consistent releases. Now that viewers are waiting years between seasons, interest is waning.
House of the Dragon, The Rings of Power, and The Witcher all take about two years between seasons — and when new outings arrive, they’re not even 10 episodes long. This was a huge criticism of House of the Dragon season 2. And putting aside the show’s other issues, it’s at least partly responsible for The Witcher season 4 getting such little fanfare.
Stranger Things and Wednesday have also gotten backlash because of the gaps between seasons, with Wednesday season 2 seeing a sharp viewership decline, likely due to lost interest. Netflix’s dubious split release model isn’t helping, either, as it causes people to wait before returning to their favorite shows and risks them forgetting entirely.
There’s Still Hope For Fantasy On TV, But Change Is Desperately Needed
Fantasy television has been a mixed bag lately, but there’s still hope for the genre, assuming Hollywood is willing to address the biggest problems it faces. Rebuilding trust with viewers is part of that, and it would behoove streaming services and networks to develop better long-term plans for fantasy titles.
Ideally, this would mean grappling with budgetary challenges so that speedy cancellations aren’t needed if a show doesn’t blow up right away. Green-lighting a few seasons at once would make audiences more secure when starting new series. Disney+ has the right idea with Percy Jackson & the Olympians, which is already confirmed for season 3.
The waits between seasons may be unavoidable under the new streaming model. However, some franchises have found a smart solution: releasing spinoff content between outings. The Boys and The Legend of Vox Machina are staying front of mind with this approach, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms could have done this for Game of Thrones had it not been delayed.
Being more cognizant of viewer wants and expectations could also help, as some of the biggest complaints about recent fantasy titles — from The Wheel of Time, to The Witcher, to The Rings of Power — have to do with diverging from the source material and making unpopular choices.
Additionally, smaller titles, like My Lady Jane and Warrior Nun, deserve better marketing. Viewers often don’t realize new seasons are available until they’ve underperformed in their first week, setting them up for failure. Instead of pouring funds into massive special-effects budgets, studios could shift their attention here.
Animation is one area where the genre continues to shine, with titles like Arcane and The Legend of Vox Machina proving some of the best fantasy shows of the last few years. If live-action fantasy remains a hard sell, it could be worth leaning into this medium instead.
Whatever streamers and networks do next, it’s obvious they can’t continue to churn out fantasy series as they have been. Even the strongest ones are losing momentum, and viewers don’t trust the majority to return or do their stories justice. That’s a larger problem with Hollywood’s approach, and it throws away all the potential the genre has to offer.
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