Wheel of Time creator opens up about extending the Queer universe of the show: Here's what we know

The TV adaptation of The Wheel of Time, inspired by Robert Jordan’s expansive book series, has made waves for more than its epic storytelling and immersive worldbuilding. It’s been praised, and in some corners debated, for its conscious embrace of diversity, especially in how it approaches queerness, relationships, and cultural nuance.

Steering that vision is Rafe Judkins, a showrunner who seems to understand that fantasy is as much about the present as it is about imagined worlds. Rather than simply recreating what’s on the page, Judkins and his creative team set out to build something resonant, something that honors the roots of the genre while opening new pathways for representation and storytelling.

Fantasy, historically, has often mirrored the dominant worldviews of its time: heroic male leads, rigid binaries, and a Eurocentric lens. But Jordan’s original series hinted at something broader: a universe shaped by cycles, by balance, and by the complicated interplay of light and shadow within each person. That foundation gave the television series permission to evolve. In doing so, it reaches out to a new generation of viewers who want their heroes, and villains, to feel real, layered, and inclusive.

As fantasy continues to diversify, The Wheel of Time positions itself not just as an epic saga, but as a mirror reflecting the emotional and social complexity of our world.

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The names behind the adaptation and their approaches to diversity

Rafe Judkins came into this project with purpose and preparation. With past work on shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hemlock Grove, Judkins had already carved out a space in TV for stories that didn't shy away from complexity or representation. When it came to The Wheel of Time, he saw potential not just for spectacle but for emotional and cultural relevance. Jordan’s books hinted at fluidity in identity and relationships. Judkins chose to lean into those subtleties and let them flourish.

What results isn’t a rewrite, but an unearthing. Characters who once existed mostly in subtext now live openly. Relationships that might have gone unspoken are acknowledged and explored with depth. As Judkins shared in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter,

"Robert Jordan once casually said, 'I’d say 30 to 50 percent of the people in The Wheel of Time world probably aren’t straight.' That’s a big thing he was doing. We’re trying to infuse that into the show and not make it feel like an exception to the rule, but just a natural part of our world".

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Rafe Judkins: Career and focus on inclusion

Judkins' storytelling chops go beyond the surface. While his start on Survivor: Guatemala might seem worlds away from epic fantasy, it offered a crash course in observing human nature. That curiosity translated into his writing career, where on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., he helped craft arcs that gave space to characters navigating queerness, alienation, and purpose.

What sets Judkins apart is his instinct to prioritize character over cliché. In The Wheel of Time, he doesn't just assemble a fantasy template. He digs into what makes each person tick. Gender, power, and identity, are not afterthoughts but drivers of conflict and growth. His vision honors the source material while encouraging it to breathe in new ways, challenging conventions without losing the heart of the original story.

Judkins has also been vocal about casting choices as part of this inclusive worldbuilding:

"We hired extra casting directors in Japan, India, South Africa and Latin America. We tried to get people from all over the world," he told Hindustan Times, emphasizing that the series should reflect the diversity that Jordan’s books hinted at, while feeling globally authentic.

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Cast and characters: Bringing diversity to life

What really gives The Wheel of Time its emotional weight is the way the characters are brought to life, not just through performance, but through relationships that feel genuine.

Rosamund Pike takes on the role of Moiraine Damodred with quiet control and emotional restraint but never feels distant. There’s something about the way she holds herself, composed, yes, but clearly carrying something heavy. She’s not just a guide for the others; she’s fighting her own battles, and Pike lets us see just enough to feel that.

Daniel Henney, playing Lan, balances that energy perfectly. His version of the stoic warrior doesn’t feel cold or flat. It’s grounded, observant, and full of the kind of loyalty that doesn’t need to be spoken out loud.

The younger cast, Madden, Stradowski, Robins, and Rutherford, brings layers to characters who could’ve easily fallen into fantasy tropes. Egwene’s drive is fierce, but you always sense her empathy. Rand seems lost, but Stradowski plays him with a vulnerability that makes the pressure on his shoulders feel real. Perrin says little, but there’s weight in his silences. Nynaeve, in Robins’ hands, is sharp and guarded, but never unreadable.

There’s also a kind of quiet confidence in how the show handles intimacy. Alanna and her two Warders, Maksim and Ihvon, live together, fight together, share affection, and none of it is treated as a big reveal. Their bond just exists, without labels or explanations. It feels lived-in, rooted in years of trust and love. The same goes for Moiraine and Siuan. Their relationship isn’t left to subtext, it’s real, and it matters.

“It felt essential that their relationship be textual,” said showrunner Rafe Judkins in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

“It is one of the most important relationships in the books for how it drives the plot. To me, the show didn’t make sense without that relationship being explicit," he added.

What the series does here isn’t about token gestures. It’s about letting people exist fully and letting love, in all its forms, take up space.

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Storyline and narrative evolution: Origins and future directions

The world of The Wheel of Time operates on a mythic scale. Time is cyclical, history is layered, and magic flows through everything. Within that, the show follows Moiraine’s search for the Dragon Reborn, a figure prophesied to either save or break the world.

But that plot is only the beginning. The show takes time with its characters, showing them struggle with identity, fear, power, and belonging. These aren’t cardboard heroes; they’re messy, evolving, and deeply human. Queerness in the series isn’t a separate track; it’s interwoven with themes of self-discovery and transformation.

Season 3 promises more: new lands, higher stakes, and deeper emotional resonance. The scope may widen, but the heartbeat remains the same: individuals shaping their own fates, even in the face of cosmic forces.

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Literary adaptation: Similarities, differences, and expectations

Adapting Jordan’s fourteen-book saga is daunting. The novels sprawl, full of history, prophecy, and endless cultural details. A straight translation to the screen would be unmanageable. Instead, the series prioritizes tone and theme over exhaustive accuracy.

Some choices have stirred debate, such as elevating Moiraine’s role early on, but they serve a narrative purpose. The adaptation isn’t about mimicking the books; it’s about translating their emotional and philosophical essence into television. Like Jordan himself, who reinterpreted fantasy conventions, Judkins reimagines what The Wheel of Time can mean for today’s audience.

That raises questions worth asking: Who gets to be a hero? How do we hold onto the past while creating space for the present? What kind of future are we imagining when we build new worlds?

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Literary and cinematic references behind the

Wheel of Time

Jordan’s influences ripple through the series. The Lord of the Rings laid the foundation with its epic journey, ancient evil, and sense of loss. But Jordan added complexity: time is circular, heroes return in new forms, and magic carries danger as well as wonder.

The echoes of Dune are there, too, messianic narratives, layered politics, and ecological themes. Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea and Stephen R. Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant series also find resonance, especially in how they treat magic as both power and burden.

The show shares DNA with other screen epics, from Game of Thrones to His Dark Materials. But its tone is more reflective. There’s grandeur, yes, but also quiet moments, conversations at campfires, private reckonings, and difficult choices made without fanfare.

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Previous adaptations and possible directions for the series

Before Amazon took it on, The Wheel of Time had a rocky adaptation history. A 2015 pilot, Winter Dragon, aired quietly to maintain rights but lacked polish and direction. It proved how hard this story is to tell, and how much care it needs.

Now, the series stands as part of a broader movement in fantasy TV. Alongside The Witcher, House of the Dragon, and The Rings of Power, it reflects a shift toward inclusive, emotionally complex storytelling. What makes The Wheel of Time distinct is its willingness to linger, to let growth, grief, and discovery take center stage.

The future of the show holds both creative opportunity and cultural relevance. As The Wheel of Time moves into its third season and beyond, it has the chance to not only deepen the narrative threads already laid but to elevate the genre itself. It can question the old structures, who leads, who is heard, who survives and replaces them with something richer.

It can continue to build a world that doesn’t just reflect fantasy, but redefines it. And in doing so, it might offer viewers more than just escape, it might offer understanding, belonging, and the courage to imagine new stories for themselves.