There’s a lot of anticipation for Michael Hirst’s new Viking-themed offering on Amazon Prime Video. The creator is responsible for the hugely popular Vikings series on History, which helped bring the Norse raiders into the mainstream.
Amazon appears to be so confident that Bloodaxe will be a success that it has already commissioned a second season of the show. The first hasn’t even aired yet, but it’s expected to drop in 2027.
Confidence in Project Driven by Popularity of Vikings
Amazon will have also looked at the success of Vikings: Valhalla on Netflix, which benefited from the popularity of Vikings before it. That ran for three seasons and has a 96 per cent average critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, although it wasn’t created by Hirst and didn’t achieve the same cultural impact as its predecessor. Amazon’s offering sees Hirst back in the driving seat, and there’s clearly a firm belief that he will be able to bring back the magic of his first Vikings series in a brand-new offering.
Amazon’s confidence in Bloodaxe could be thanks to the widespread popularity of Vikings in entertainment. Vikings appear across all sectors of entertainment, including film, TV, games and iGaming. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla was a popular edition of the already popular video game series. In iGaming, those who try to find the best casino bonus will be familiar with the sight of Viking-themed games, including titles like Viking Forge, Vikings Unleashed Megaways and Vikings of Fortune, just to name a few.
First Season Pushed Back to 2027
According to early reports, Bloodaxe was initially expected to be released in 2026. However, Amazon MGM Studios has now officially listed the series for a 2027 launch with no specific premiere date yet. Fans who have been eagerly anticipating the series will have to wait a bit longer, but it may be worth it. It could mean that even more work is going into post-production to make it look as real and immersive as possible.
With a second season already confirmed, it could mean that there is less of a wait for the second season. Indeed, it may allow the creators to start work on it immediately after the first season is finished.
How Will Bloodaxe Compare to Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla?
With Hirst in the driving seat on Bloodaxe, viewers will be expecting a similar level of quality to Vikings. That series was met with critical acclaim, and the creator will be hoping to go one better with his new series thanks to the resources available through Amazon MGM Studios.
Vikings: Valhalla was reasonably popular, but it wasn’t quite as successful as Vikings before it. Bloodaxe will separate itself from both series as it will have a brand-new storyline, but there are likely to be plenty of similarities.
The fact that Bloodaxe has already been renewed is great news, but the series needs to distinguish itself from past offerings and go in its own direction. Hopefully, it will continue for numerous seasons and be even better than previous Viking series.