While Prime Video’s Lord of the Rings prequel series, The Rings of Power, might currently be dividing critics with its third outing, the streaming service already has the perfect replacement for the series on the way in 2027. Whenever a major streaming series ends, there is an understandable impulse to replace the show with a similar substitute, whether it is an official spinoff, sequel, or prequel, or simply a replacement.
By the time Netflix’s Stranger Things season 5 arrived, HBOMax’s darker Stephen King series IT: Welcome to Derry had already been touted as its ideal replacement. Both blends of coming-of-age dramedy, small town mystery, and sci-fi horror, the two shows also shared nostalgic settings in bygone decades. A mere few months later, Netflix’s own official spinoff, Tales from ’85, offered a more official Stranger Things replacement.
Thus, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that, now that The Rings Of Power season 3 is finally arriving, the search is already on for its replacement. What might come as a shock to some readers is where this replacement has been located. Although HBO’s Harry Potter reboot seems like an obvious option, as does Disney’s Percy Jackson & The Olympians, it is actually Prime Video’s own historical drama Bloodaxe that is set to become the perfect substitute for the Lord of the Rings prequel show.
Bloodaxe Will Fill The Gap Left By The Rings Of Power In 2027
Bloodaxe centers its story on Xavier Molyneux’s titular real-life Viking warrior Eric Bloodaxe and Jessica Madsen’s Gunnhild, his wife. A pivotal figure in Viking history, the title character of Bloodaxe plays a similar role to The Last Kingdom franchise’s protagonist, Uhtred, or the Vikings hero Ragnar Lothbrok. Like those earlier historical drama protagonists, Bloodaxe finds himself at the center of historically significant battles that go on to shape European nations.
The comparison is an apt one, with Vikings producer Michael Hirst working on Bloodaxe while The Last Kingdom star Rune Tente is among the supporting cast members. Of course, the fact that the show is a historical drama with no fantasy elements means Bloodaxe will be devoid of the complicated fictional magic systems that can be found in Harry Potter, The Rings of Power, and most major fantasy streaming hits.
However, in many ways, Bloodaxe still acts a closer dupe for the Lord of the Rings prequel than its competitors. Its early modern setting means the show will have the distinctly medieval feel of middle-Earth, where both Harry Potter and Percy Jackson & The Olympians are firmly contemporary. Meanwhile, Bloodaxe’s focus on complex political feuds is also mirrored in Prime Video’s fantasy show.
Bloodaxe Offers Viewers The Advantage Most Streaming Shows Can’t
Fans do not yet know when The Rings of Power season 4’s release date will be, but the show has so far released a season every two years. As such, it seems virtually impossible for season 4 to come in 2027, especially when The Rings of Power is the one of the most elaborate and expensive TV shows ever made.
Fortunately, like Prime Video’s recent romance hit Off Campus, Bloodaxe already has a solution to the lengthy wait between outings of the streaming service’s Tolkien adaptation. Bloodaxe has been pre-emptively renewed, meaning viewers won’t need to worry about a multi-year wait between seasons of the series.
In an era when massive hits like Stranger Things and Wednesday have faced substantial backlash for their three-year gaps between seasons, this could be a huge benefit for Bloodaxe. The fact that Percy Jackson & The Olympians seasons 2 and 3 were shot back to back to shorten the gap between seasons proves this is a big concern, meaning Bloodaxe could well gain an advantage over the Lord of the Rings prequel series The Rings of Power thanks to its consistent release schedule.
- Release Date
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January 20, 2027
- Network
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Prime Video
- Showrunner
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Horatio Hirst, Michael Hirst
Cast
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Xavier Molyneux
Erik Bloodaxe
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Kārlis Arnolds Avots
Egil
