Netflix’s Dungeons & Dragons Show Can Finally Include the Best Character Cut From the $208M Movie

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Originally created in 1974 by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, Dungeons & Dragons started as a way for friends to collaboratively tell fantasy stories. Over the past five decades, it’s grown from a niche hobby played in basements into a major part of worldwide geek culture. While the game lets players create their own unique characters and adventures, it also features detailed, official worlds to provide a consistent backdrop for campaigns. The most popular of these is the Forgotten Realms, a sprawling fantasy continent created by Ed Greenwood and first introduced to the game in 1987. This setting played a key role in the movie Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

The movie Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves authentically brought the world of the game to life, featuring recognizable places like Neverwinter, spells directly from the rulebooks (such as speak with dead and reverse gravity), and creatures from Underdark lore, including the dragon Themberchaud. Despite positive reviews, the film only earned $208 million globally, while costing $150 million to make. This wasn’t enough to justify Paramount’s plans for a series of six movies, especially after considering marketing expenses. As a result, the franchise stalled, and fans won’t get to see Drizzt Do’Urden – a hugely popular character from the Forgotten Realms – who was originally planned to appear in the film but was ultimately cut.

Drizzt Do’Urden Should Be Part of Netflix’s Dungeons & Dragons Series

Following the release of Honor Among Thieves, producer Jeremy Latcham revealed that the character of Drizzt Do’Urden was the original inspiration for Xenk Yendar (played by Regé-Jean Page), the skilled and reserved guide who helps the group navigate the Underdark. Initially, Wizards of the Coast wanted to include Drizzt directly, and early versions of the script had him in the role Xenk eventually took. His home city, Menzoberranzan, was originally planned as the central location within the Underdark. However, the filmmakers changed course due to concerns surrounding the portrayal of drow (dark elves) in Dungeons & Dragons media. This followed a 2020 statement from Wizards of the Coast addressing issues of racial essentialism within the game’s backstory. To avoid a potentially sensitive debate while completing the film, the production created an original character, Xenk, who fulfilled the same purpose as Drizzt in the story, but wasn’t the character himself.

Although Drizzt Do’Urden didn’t make it into the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves movie, there’s a new Forgotten Realms TV show in development on Netflix that could bring him to a much wider audience. Drizzt first appeared in 1988 as a supporting character in R.A. Salvatore’s novel The Crystal Shard, which was the start of the Icewind Dale Trilogy. He quickly became incredibly popular with readers, leading Salvatore to create an entire series focused on him. Now, Drizzt has starred in over 38 novels under The Legend of Drizzt, making him the most featured character in Dungeons & Dragons fiction by a large margin. Born a dark elf in the dangerous city of Menzoberranzan, Drizzt turned away from his society’s violent ways and became a ranger, living on the surface and earning the world’s trust through years of selfless acts. This compelling background provides a natural source of drama, fueling many beloved stories.

Netflix is developing a series set in the Forgotten Realms—the fantastical world that’s been home to the character Drizzt Do’Urden since 1988. Shawn Levy is executive producing, and Drew Crevello is the showrunner. As of late 2025, Levy confirmed they’ve already written a pilot script and are making good progress. The series aims to showcase the vastness of the Forgotten Realms and introduce viewers to its most popular characters. Considering Drizzt is the most well-known character from this world, it’s highly likely he’ll be included, and a TV series format is better suited to explore his complex story than a movie would be. A Drizzt TV show has been discussed for years, and this Netflix production might finally make it a reality.

Netflix is currently working on a series based on The Forgotten Realms, but a release date hasn’t been announced yet.

Is Drizzt Do’Urden the right character to build a Netflix series around in the Forgotten Realms, or would a brand new hero be a better fit for a live-action adaptation? Share your thoughts and join the discussion in the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-04-02 21:42