Apple TV is developing both Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive into TV series, and while fans are excited, these shows could run into a problem similar to the one that plagued Game of Thrones. Luckily, the issue appears less severe, and there’s already a more obvious solution. This is good news, because adapting Brandon Sanderson’s complex Cosmere universe for television is a huge task, even with the author’s close involvement. Translating Sanderson’s detailed world from the page to the screen will be difficult, and the sheer size of his universe will likely make those challenges even bigger.
Limiting the initial scope addresses a major worry: preventing Apple’s fantasy shows from repeating the later seasons of Game of Thrones. While Game of Thrones remains a hugely influential series, and the upcoming Sanderson adaptations can learn from it, the show’s quality declined as it went on. This happened because it eventually ran out of original book material to adapt, and that’s a risk Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive face as well.
Mistborn & The Stormlight Archive Are Ongoing, Raising a Game of Thrones Problem All Over Again
The main problem with the later seasons of Game of Thrones was that the TV show moved beyond the published books by George R.R. Martin. The series was strongest when it closely followed the source material, but around Season 5, it started to decline as the show began to deviate from the books. Because Martin hasn’t finished writing The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring, the show had limited options. This raises a worry for any adaptation of an unfinished work: will it eventually run out of material and lose what made the original story so compelling?
Both the Mistborn series and The Stormlight Archive are still being written, which means there’s a very small possibility Apple’s adaptations could eventually reach the same point in the story. However, that’s probably not going to happen – it would require a lot of movies and TV seasons. Luckily, Sanderson’s stories also have a built-in solution if adaptations were to move at such a rapid pace.
Brandon Sanderson’s Fantasy Sagas Have Clearer Breaks Than A Song of Ice and Fire
Both Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive are ongoing series, much like A Song of Ice and Fire. However, the situation with these series is different, which makes the challenge of adapting them into TV shows less pressing. A Song of Ice and Fire is one long, unfinished story, and when Game of Thrones started, there wasn’t a clear ending available—and there still isn’t. This forced the show’s creators to develop their own version of how the story might end, even if it meant deviating from George R.R. Martin’s plans.
However, more books in both the Mistborn and Stormlight Archive series are planned, but they will each tell new stories. These series are designed to be told in multiple parts. Two of the Mistborn story arcs have already been completed, and the third era will move the timeline forward with a new plot and characters. Similarly, the first major story arc of The Stormlight Archive is finished. This means that if any movie or TV adaptations were to catch up to the books, they could pause without disrupting the overall story.
The show can easily avoid long gaps or actors aging by using time jumps and introducing new characters. As long as they adapt the stories one after another, it should work well. Plus, there are lots of other books in the Cosmere universe they can use if they ever need a break from a particular storyline!
The Cosmere Already Has a Fix for Game of Thrones’ Biggest Problem
Beyond the inherent strengths of the Cosmere universe, there’s another factor that should prevent it from suffering the same fate as Game of Thrones. Brandon Sanderson is deeply involved in the adaptations of his work. He’s writing the screenplay for Mistborn and will co-run The Stormlight Archive as showrunner. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he has more creative control than many other authors when their books are adapted for television. This means Sanderson can ensure his vision is realized, even if he hasn’t finished writing all the books yet. Considering his writing pace and the amount of material to cover, it’s likely he’ll have them completed before Apple TV+ gets through the adaptations.
Sanderson’s careful planning is really paying off, and it’s clear he’s staying on track with his writing. He recently announced on YouTube that he’s finished the first draft of the first book in the new Mistborn era. Although he’s taking a break to write a screenplay, he doesn’t think it will significantly delay the release of Ghostbloods or the next books in The Stormlight Archive. Considering how quickly he usually works, fans have good reason to trust him.
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2026-02-05 04:40