5 Upcoming Sci-Fi TV Shows That Sound Like Perfect Replacements for The Expanse

by

The TV series The Expanse had a rocky road. It was initially cancelled by SYFY after three seasons, but a huge fan effort (#saveTheExpanse) led to Amazon picking it up for another three. Unfortunately, it was cancelled again before it could finish telling the full story. While the sixth season wrapped up the conflict with Marco Inaros, about a third of the original book series remains unadapted. The show hinted at the future storyline involving Laconia, but adapting the significant time jump and new direction of the final books likely proved too challenging. Ever since the show ended, fans have been searching for something to fill the void it left.

The Expanse was a truly exceptional show that perfectly blended space adventure, realistic science fiction, and political intrigue. It had all the elements of a fantastic sci-fi story, with compelling characters and thought-provoking ethical dilemmas. Since it ended in 2022, nothing has quite filled the void, but several new shows offer promising signs. These five upcoming series could be the next big sci-fi hits, and one of them might even capture the magic of The Expanse.

5) Star City (Apple TV)

Apple TV+’s new series, Star City, builds on the world of the popular sci-fi show For All Mankind. Created by Ronald D. Moore (known for Battlestar Galactica), For All Mankind presents an alternate history of the space race. Star City offers a fresh perspective, focusing on the Soviet space program and a timeline where the USSR lands on the moon first. Starring Rhys Ifans, the show is set at the Star City cosmonaut training center outside Moscow. Like The Expanse, Star City will explore the political side of space exploration, but with a focus on a reimagined past. Star City premieres on Apple TV on May 29th, and you can catch up on For All Mankind beforehand.

4) Consider Phlebas (Prime Video)

As a huge sci-fi fan, I’m really excited about the upcoming adaptation of Iain M. Banks’ Consider Phlebas – it’s the first book in his incredible Culture series! It’s set during a massive war between a super-advanced, AI-run society called the Culture and a really rigid, controlling empire, the Idirans. I’m especially hopeful because it’s being written by Charles Yu and executive produced by Chloé Zhao, which suggests it’ll have a similar grand scope – both visually and in terms of the big ideas it explores – to later seasons of The Expanse. If you loved The Expanse, especially its focus on AI and what a perfect society might look like, this one feels like it’ll be right up your alley. We don’t have a release date yet, but I’m keeping an eye out for more news!

3) Neuromancer (Apple TV)

William Gibson’s groundbreaking 1984 novel, Neuromancer, is widely considered the foundation of the cyberpunk genre, but surprisingly, it’s never had a truly great film or TV adaptation—until now. Apple TV+ is creating a 10-episode series to fix that, starring Callum Turner as Case, a talented but troubled hacker hired for a complex digital robbery. The story follows Case and the skilled, technologically-enhanced Molly Millions as they break into the systems of powerful corporations controlled by artificial intelligence, uncovering a conspiracy connected to a wealthy and influential family. While The Expanse focuses on the vastness of space, Neuromancer explores the uncharted territory of the digital world, tackling themes of corporate control, social inequality, and how technology impacts humanity. With a similar depth of thought-provoking ideas, the series is expected to appeal to fans of The Expanse and is slated to premiere later this year.

2) Stargate Revival (Prime Video)

Amazon MGM Studios is bringing back Stargate with a new series, and they’ve tapped Martin Gero – a veteran writer and producer from Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis – to lead the project. This won’t be a complete restart of the franchise; it will continue the existing storyline. The original film’s creators, Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin, are also involved as executive producers. If you enjoyed The Expanse, this series will likely appeal to you, as the Stargate network of portals connecting different worlds shares many similarities with the Ring Gates from later seasons of The Expanse. Expect familiar themes of power struggles, political alliances, and humanity’s place in the galaxy. Currently, the new Stargate series is expected to be released between late 2027 and early 2028.

1) The Captive’s War (Prime Video)

Fans of The Expanse have a new series to look forward to, directly from the original creators! Amazon has commissioned a TV adaptation of The Captive’s War, the latest book series by James S.A. Corey. Key players from The Expanse – including showrunner Naren Shankar and director Breck Eisner – are returning, with the authors involved as executive producers. The studio that saved The Expanse is again trusting this creative team to deliver a hit. This new series will be a full-blown space opera, focusing on humanity’s fight against the Carryx, a powerful alien empire with a strict social structure. The story centers on characters like Dafyd Alkhor, a research assistant held captive, who must navigate the alien system and attempt to start a rebellion. With the same talented team behind the scenes and a brand new universe, it promises to capture the magic that made The Expanse so popular. The series is currently in development, though a release date hasn’t been announced yet.

What show are you looking forward to the most? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/10-visually-stunning-episodes-the-expanse/embed/#

Read More

2026-03-12 22:17