Although *The Wheel of Time* appears to be at a standstill following Amazon's decision not to renew the series for Season 4 after the completion of its third season, showrunner Rafe Judkins has expressed cautious optimism that—like *The Expanse* before it—the show may yet find a new home and a path to conclusion.
Based on the beloved fantasy book series by Robert Jordan and starring Rosamund Pike, *The Wheel of Time* initially faced backlash from book fans over deviations from the source material in its first two seasons. However, Season 3 was widely praised for aligning more closely with fan expectations and setting up what many hoped would be the show’s strongest chapter yet.
Unfortunately, despite reportedly positive internal sentiment at Prime Video, the streamer ultimately decided against moving forward with Season 4, citing financial concerns after “lengthy deliberations,” according to Deadline.
Brandon Sanderson, who completed Jordan’s original book series, publicly shared his thoughts on the cancellation, stating: “I do think it's a shame, as while I had my problems with the show, it had a fanbase who deserved better than a cancellation after the best season. I won't miss being largely ignored; they wanted my name on it for legitimacy, but not to involve me in any meaningful way.”
In his first public comments since the news broke, showrunner Rafe Judkins acknowledged the difficulty in explaining the cancellation, saying he couldn’t offer “something clear and tidy” to justify the decision. He emphasized that *The Wheel of Time* reached a global audience, appearing in the Nielsen Top 10 for nearly 20 weeks—a rare achievement in recent television history.
Judkins also shared how deeply committed the cast and crew were to telling the full story arc of the books. Not being able to finish the adaptation feels like a major loss, especially given the long-form storytelling potential of television. He criticized the current trend in the industry of shorter seasons and faster content turnover aimed at boosting streaming subscriptions, calling it contrary to what makes TV special.
He pointed to *The Expanse* as a hopeful precedent—canceled by SYFY but later revived by Amazon—to suggest that *The Wheel of Time* might still have a future elsewhere. “Perhaps the Wheel of Time show will do what the books have always managed to do since day one — defy the traditional definitions of ‘beginnings’ and ‘ends,’” Judkins said. “I certainly hope it does — because this book series and these fans deserve to see the story finished.”
Meanwhile, an online petition urging Prime Video to reverse its decision has garnered over 130,000 signatures, though reports indicate that the show is not currently being shopped to other networks. Despite this, Judkins’ words—and the legacy of *The Expanse*—offer a glimmer of hope that the story could one day reach its intended conclusion.
Here is Rafe Judkins' full statement:
I’ve been asked the same question many times the last week — why was The Wheel of Time canceled? And the truth is, I don’t know. I wish I could say something clear and tidy that explains to all those who love it why it’s coming to an end, but sadly, I can’t.
What I can say is that the actors and crew on our show are the most talented and wonderful group of people I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. And we’ve all been incredibly lucky to make something that not only was beloved by fans (and even critics! ha!) but was also watched by huge numbers of people all over the world (appearing in the Nielsen Top 10 for nearly 20 weeks, a feat very few shows have been able to match in the last decade).
One of my core goals in making this show, even from the earliest crafting of the pitch, has been to tell the whole story. Because the Wheel of Time books do what television has always done best — get better as they go. And as our actors and team came on board, they too could see the potential if we were allowed to finish this incredible story. We made many sacrifices, both personal and creative, along the way to get to that ending, so coming up short feels like a devastating blow for all of us.
Much has been written about this larger trend in TV toward fewer seasons with less episodes and finding quicker ways to acquire additional streaming subscribers. But I genuinely believe that this goes against the fundamental strength of television — long-form storytelling. It is an art form, much like epic fantasy, which at its very best, gives people a place to go and spend time with the characters that they love year after year after year. And I believe there are executives, studios, and networks who know that. I believe that we will find our way through this current iteration of the industry and back to what we do best — bringing great characters into people’s living rooms and lives every week.
Will the Wheel of Time get to do that with another network and finish the story? Sadly, it’s not something that happens often. But it does happen. In fact, one of the reasons we first chose Amazon as a home for the show was because they were in the midst of picking up The Expanse after SYFY cancelled it.
So who knows? Perhaps the Wheel of Time show will do what the books have always managed to do since day one — defy the traditional definitions of “beginnings” and “ends.” I certainly hope it does — because this book series and these fans deserve to see the story finished.
