Vikings Creator Finally Reveals If Bloodaxe Is the Real Vikings Sequel

Michael Hirst is heading back to the Viking sandbox, but he isn't making Vikings 2.0. His new Amazon Prime Video series, Bloodaxe, drops us into a later era with new legends to obsess over, and yes, it connects the dots between his two existing shows without playing as a direct sequel.

• What it is: Bloodaxe, a historical drama at Amazon Prime Video from Vikings creator Michael Hirst
• Where it sits: About a century after Ragnar's time, wedged between Vikings (9th century) and Vikings: Valhalla (11th century)
• The story: Erik Bloodaxe and his wife Gunnhild battling for Norway's throne amid rivals, shifting loyalties, and English power players meddling in the mess
• The players: Xavier Molyneux as Erik Bloodaxe; Karlis Arnolds Avots as Egil Skallagrimsson, who's out for revenge against Erik
• Behind the scenes: Co-written by Michael Hirst and his son, Horatio Hirst (his writing debut); produced by MGM Television with multiple executive producers
• Release window: Aiming for 2026 on Prime Video
• While you wait: Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla are streaming on Netflix now

So is this a sequel to Vikings?

Nope. Hirst is clear: Bloodaxe isn't a direct follow-up. It takes place roughly a hundred years after Ragnar Lodbrok's exploits, acting as the middle chapter that bridges Vikings and Valhalla on the timeline.

Who is Erik Bloodaxe this time around?

Hirst frames Erik as one of the last big champions of the old Norse ways. In the series, his saga includes a run as King of Norway and stretches to ruling in York and Ireland. The core of the show is his partnership with Gunnhild — not just politically, but personally — as they fight their way through the chaos for the crown.

The killer-poet who crashes the party

This is the wonderfully weird part. Hirst says he thought he was done with Norse sagas, then got pulled back in by Egil Skallagrimsson — a man he describes as both a relentless killer and, somehow, Scandinavia's greatest poet, even regarded as one of Iceland's founding fathers. That contradiction is the hook. Egil, played by Karlis Arnolds Avots, is locked on revenge against Erik Bloodaxe (Xavier Molyneux), which gives the show a sharp personal engine under all the throne-grabbing.

"Egil was a pathological killer, but he was also, and more importantly, the greatest poet that Scandinavia ever produced."

How historical is this going to be?

If you've watched Hirst's work, you know the drill: big drama built on deep research. He's adamant about sticking close to the record — or at least to what can be defended by the record — even when the events sound unbelievable. Expect mythic-seeming twists that he insists have roots in the sources.

When and where to watch

Bloodaxe is targeting a 2026 debut on Prime Video. Until then, Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla are both sitting on Netflix if you want a refresher before this middle chapter swings its axe.