Netflix has announced medieval fantasy drama ‘Barbaric’, based on the best-selling comics by Michael Moreci and Nathan Gooden. Here’s everything we know about it so far!
After first being revealed back in 2024, Netflix has officially green-lit a live-action adaptation of Vault Comics’ best-selling dark fantasy title, Barbaric. The series has some serious industry heavyweights behind it. The showrunner duo is already well-renowned within the space of comic book adaptations, with Academy Award nominee Sheldon Turner (X-Men First Class) co-showrunning alongside Robert Rovner, who’s best known for his writing work on The CW series Supergirl.
Producing the series is Jennifer Klein (Armageddon, Pearl Harbor) for 100% Productions, Barry Jossen and Tana Jamieson for A+E Studios, Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Lost, The Witcher), F.J. DeSanto and Damian Wassel for Vault Comics; Sam Claflin, Luke Carroll, and Michael Stevenson for Soft Claw Productions.
Check out the official logline:
A ruthless and crass barbarian is cursed to only use his violence for good, which sends him, his talking axe and a young witch on a road of self discovery, redemption and revenge.
Barbaric was revealed as part of Netflix’s Upfront 2026 announcements, which includes renewals, first looks, and more. You can check out the full lineup of announcements here.
What is the Barbaric comic about?
Barbaric began its journey at Vault Comics in 2021. It’s written by Michael Moreci and illustrated by Nathan Gooden. The series is its currently on its fifth volume, with the paperback edition slated for release in August. There’s also a spin-off series (Queen of Swords) and a one-shot special. Described as Deadpool–meets–Game of Thrones, Barbaric is renowned for its cutthroat, hyper-violent nature. When issue #1 debuted six years ago, it hit the ground running, becoming an instant classic, and it has since had multiple variants and printings.
Barbaric follows Owen the Barbarian, a man cursed to do good with what remains of his life. He wanders the realm with his talking Axe, a bloodthirsty weapon and moral compass— who also happens to have a severe drinking problem (being drunk on blood). Owen is foredoomed to help anyone who needs his mighty expertise. However, he has one unwavering mantra: he despises witches, as they were the ones who cursed him to do good deeds.
“Barbaric has been the mainstay of fantasy comic books for the last six years. The first issue came out at a time when everyone said fantasy comics were dead and it changed the entire industry’s mind,” Vault Editor-in-Chief, Adrian Wassel said in a statement. “Now, as Owen and Axe take to the screen, even more people get to see why Barbaric is the most important sword & sorcery series since Conan.”
Vault CEO, Damian Wassel added: “We published Barbaric with one single goal: give the world the fantasy comic they’d been missing for years. It was a resounding success. Now we get to share that incredible story with a whole new audience. Whether they also join us as readers, or just stream the madness, we’re sure a whole host of fans are going to fall head over bloody heels for Owen and Axe.”
Publisher Vault Comics has a modest history with live-action adaptations, from Vagrant Queen (2020) to Revealer (2022). However, Barbaric will stand as the biggest live-action project to be developed from a comic published by Vault. Meanwhile, Netflix already has a solid roster of live-action comic book adaptations, with some of the streamer’s biggest being The Umbrella Academy, Sweet Tooth, and The Sandman.
‘Barbaric’ creators Michael Moreci and Nathan Gooden react to the Netflix adaptation
As it happens, Michael Moreci has worked with a Netflix IP before, having written four-issue Stranger Things comic The Voyage. But of course, Barbaric is his masterpiece, and seeing it in live-action is a magical experience in itself. “We’ve got a dream team putting this project together, and I couldn’t be happier—especially since Barbaric fans are the best fans in the world, and I know how much they’re going to love seeing this story brought to life in such a major way,” Moreci said in a statement. “This is going to be an exciting ride.”
“Barbaric is a story full of big characters and crazy action, a lot of it pulled straight from my imagination,” series artist Nathan Gooden added. “We have such a great team bringing this story to the biggest streaming platform in the world, and I can’t wait to see it come to life. I feel lucky to share Barbaric with new audiences and at the same time give comic lovers a chance to rediscover Barbaric in a new medium.”
Who has been cast in Barbaric?
When Deadline first revealed the project in 2024, Sam Claflin (Daisy Jones & the Six and Peaky Blinders) was set to star and executive produce. They also noted that Hollywood legend Patrick Stewart was also involved. However, Netflix’s official announcement has yet to reveal any casting details, so we’ll have to wait and see. Nevertheless, Claflin is officially listed as an executive producer. Might he be our Owen the Barbarian? He has all the hallmarks to tackle the role!
Barbaric is still in the very early days of development at Netflix. We’ll keep you posted on all the latest updates.
