HBO’s Grip on George R.R. Martin Is Blocking Disney From Turning His Only Superhero Series Into a Cinematic Universe
Riding the wildfire success of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, HBO is doubling down on George R. R. Martin, sealing a new deal to keep his worlds ruling its slate.
HBO already lives and breathes George R.R. Martin. Game of Thrones turned the network into a global obsession, House of the Dragon keeps that fire burning, and HBO has been angling to develop more stories from Westeros. But the rest of Martin’s universe? That’s where things get messy, especially when it comes to his long-running superhero anthology, Wild Cards.
HBO has Martin locked down... to a point
HBO and Max are Martin’s home base for anything Westeros. That momentum was no accident; the network made a deal years back to develop additional stories set in that world. And people in the industry have noticed how tightly HBO has tried to keep Martin in the family.
"HBO, Max, has really tried to kind of tie up George and... monopolize the George R.R. Martin business."
- Paul W.S. Anderson, director of In the Lost Lands
Martin’s exclusive arrangement with HBO has, in the past, limited his ability to take Game of Thrones-adjacent projects elsewhere. That doesn’t technically include non-Westeros stuff like Wild Cards, but the reality is the man has been heavily tethered to HBO for years. And Wild Cards has been stuck in development limbo for even longer.
Wild Cards: the adaptation that keeps almost happening
Quick history lesson: Wild Cards is a shared-world anthology Martin has co-edited with Melinda M. Snodgrass for decades. Think alt-history superheroes: an alien virus hits post-war New York, some people become 'Aces' with real powers, others turn into 'Jokers' with unpredictable mutations, and the unlucky 'Deuces' get oddball, mostly useless abilities. It’s gritty, political, and weird in that good, chewy way.
- 2011: Syfy Films grabs the screen rights and starts development.
- Later: Universal Cable Productions takes a swing. Then Hulu gets involved. Then Peacock. One by one, they all step back.
- Throughout: Martin and Snodgrass keep writing and rewriting pilots and feature versions trying to crack it.
- 2023: Peacock walks away; Martin posts that they will try to set it up somewhere else.
- 2024: At New York Comic Con, Martin tells a panel the show could maybe happen, just not today.
"God knows George and I have tried. I have written so many versions of either a movie or a TV pilot, but it might be that time has passed for a new superhero show."
- Melinda M. Snodgrass
Where it stands right now
After Peacock exited in 2023, Martin said on his blog that they would try to place Wild Cards somewhere else. A year later at NYCC 2024, he sounded cautiously realistic: maybe someday, not today. For a property with name recognition and a devoted readership, it’s a strangely tough sell. Part of that is timing. Networks got spooked by superhero fatigue right as Wild Cards needed a champion.
Could Disney be the wild card?
One path people float: if Disney stepped in, the company could use its machine to launch a superhero world that doesn’t look like the 20-something movie arc we just lived through. There’s already a modern proof of concept on the page: Marvel Comics’ 2022 miniseries Wild Cards: The Drawing of Cards #1 reimagined the origin era, with writer Paul Cornell framing it as a genuinely different spin on capes and powers. If you’re over the usual superhero flavor, Aces/Jokers/Deuces is a fresh palate cleanse.
The book reality check
The first volume is literally titled 'Wild Cards' and it’s edited by George R.R. Martin and Melinda M. Snodgrass. On Goodreads, it’s sitting at 3.69 out of 5 stars — solid for something this sprawling and unconventional.
My read on the holdup
It’s ironic: HBO has been great for Westeros, but if the company tries to keep every last Martin-adjacent thing under its umbrella, fans could miss out on a very different kind of series. Wild Cards isn’t a Thrones clone; it’s a street-level, alt-history superhero tapestry that could actually make the genre feel new again — if someone finally commits.
So, what now?
Wild Cards still needs a home. If HBO wants it, great — just make it. If not, let another player take the risk. I’d watch a Disney-produced version, a Prime Video version, an FX version — whoever’s willing to lean into the weird.
Would you want HBO to tackle Wild Cards, or should another studio roll the dice? Tell me where you’d place your bet.