George R.R. Martin's Sci-Fi Superhero Universe Should Have Been A TV Show By Now

George R.R. Martin is best known as the author of the award-winning fantasy novel series, "A Song of Fire and Ice," which was adapted into the hit HBO TV series "Game of Thrones" and its prequel, "House of the Dragon." More recently, Martin's novella series, "Tales of Dunk and Egg," set in the same universe, was adapted into the thrilling "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," but there's even more "Game of Thrones" goodness to come — with several spin-offs confirmed to be in development. Though when (or if) George R.R. Martin will finish the long-awaited next installment in his popular book series, "The Winds of Winter," is still anyone's guess.

While Martin may be most renowned for his epic fantasy writing, the lauded author is also a big fan of comic books and superheroes; so much so that, back in the '80s, he established a sci-fi superhero shared-world series that continues to thrive almost 40 years later: "Wild Cards." To date, more than 33 "Wild Cards" books have been released — written by a collection of more than 40 authors — and the series has also been adapted for numerous comic books, graphic novels, and tabletop RPGs. It's a rich world with tons of source material, but the struggle to adapt it has been real.

"Wild Cards" is a shared universe sci-fi superhero series of books and short stories that started as a long-running campaign of the "Superworld" tabletop RPG, which featured several science-fiction writers as the players and George R.R. Martin as the gamemaster. The campaign inspired Martin to write a novel about his in-game character, Turtle, but he felt that, as the game had been a group affair, a shared universe made more sense, so he invited the players and other writers to contribute to the universe. The first "Wild Card" book was then released in 1987 and, to this day, Martin and science fiction writer — and original campaign player — Melinda M. Snodgrass continue to edit the stories.

The series is written by The Wild Cards Trust, a collection of more than forty authors, including Carrie Vaughn ("Kitty Norville"), Daniel Abraham ("The Expanse"), and the late Roger Zelazny ("The Chronicles of Amber"). The series is an alternate history set in a post-World War II United States, where an airborne alien virus that was developed as a DNA-rewriting bioweapon, known by humans as the Wild Card virus, is released over New York in 1946, infecting thousands of people.

90% of those who contract the virus die; those who don't are mutated. Of that remaining 10% that are mutated, 9% develop physical deformities and face persecution from others — these people are known as Jokers — while 1% develop superhuman abilities. Those who end up with remarkable abilities are called Aces, while those with trivial powers are Deuces.

The premise for "Wild Cards" feels perfect for TV, especially with the success of gritty graphic novel superhero adaptations like Amazon's "The Boys." It's no surprise, then, that the series has gotten close to being adapted into a great sci-fi alternative history TV show, but it doesn't look like there will be a "Wild Cards" series anytime soon. In 2016, Universal Cable Productions acquired the rights to "Wild Cards" for a TV adaptation. While Martin explained at the time that his exclusivity contract with HBO meant he couldn't be involved in the project, Snodgrass was set to serve as an executive producer. In 2018, Universal Cable Productions teamed up with Hulu to create two series based on "Wild Cards."

However, in 2021, development moved from Hulu to Peacock, with "The Secret Circle" creator Andrew Miller, who was set to write and executive produce the project, confirmed to no longer be involved. Then, in 2023, George Martin announced that Peacock was no longer developing the live-action "Wild Cards" adaptation. "Peacock has passed on "Wild Cards," the author wrote in a blog post. 

The author said they would "try to place it elsewhere," but not until the writer strikes that were taking place at the time had ended. Unfortunately, it seems there's been little movement on a "Wild Cards" TV show since then. At New York Comic Con in 2025, George R.R. Martin addressed a question about the show's current status, responding that the series will "maybe happen, but not today" (via The Hollywood Reporter).