Published May 13, 2026, 3:22 PM EDT
Annie Banks is a Rotten Tomatoes–approved critic, and CBR editor and writer specializing in anime, comics, and superheroes. Her work has also appeared in Collider and The Mary Sue, where she covered pop culture, fandoms, and entertainment trends. A lifelong fan whose love for storytelling began with Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Annie blends critical insight with genuine passion for geek culture, from sci-fi to K-pop.
Vault Comics' Barbaric is about to make its way to the small screen, with even bigger names rumored to be attached to the live-action adaptation.
Per Deadline, "Netflix has given a series greenlight to Barbaric, a Medieval fantasy drama based on the best-selling Vault Comic of the same name. The project comes from A+ E Studios and Sheldon Turner & Jennifer Klein’s 100% Production."
The entertainment publication reports that "In the series adaptation, from creator, executive producer and co-showrunner Turner (Up In The Air, X-Men First Class), 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."
It was also mentioned in the initial live-action adaptation's announcement of Barbaric that "Sam Claflin (Daisy Jones & The Six) is confirmed as an executive producer of the newly picked up series alongside his partners at Soft Claw Productions, Luke Carroll, and Michael Stevenson. Also, executive producing are Turner and Klein via 100% Productions, Robert Rovner (Supergirl), who co-showruns alongside Turner; Barry Jossen and Tana Jamieson for A+E Studios, Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Lost), F.J. DeSanto, and Damian Wassel for Vault Comics."
What To Know About Barbaric
Image via Vault ComicsPer Vault Comics, the synopsis is straightforward while promising bloodshed galore. "Owen The Barbarian has an axe. And he's gonna do good with it if he has to kill someone," the publisher's official summary reads. "Owen the Barbarian has been cursed to do good with what remains of his life. His bloodthirsty weapon, Axe, has become his moral compass with a drinking problem. Together they wander the realm, foredoomed to help any who seek assistance. But there is one thing Owen hates more than a life with rules: Witches."
The Barbarian that comic book fans have raved about today wasn't always a part of creator Michael Mordeci's original vision. "There were really two retoolings that we did,” Moreci said in an interview with Comics Beat. “Originally, Barbaric was just going to be an OGN. It was during the pandemic that we really started taking off with this, and we thought, let’s just put out a complete story for people. We thought it would do well given how crazy things were with the market, but then as it started coming together, we thought, ‘Wow, there’s something happening with this book creatively.’ Vault said this was a direct market book, and we need to cut it up into issues. I had the OGN written, and I had to go and cut it up into issues. That’s how it became three issues. I wrote 90 pages, and I had to slice it up and put in the cliffhangers."
As for how faithfully Netflix's take on the smash-hit comic will be, that's a question that only time can answer. The streaming giant is no stranger to adapting comic book series through their own point of view. Hopefully, Barbaric will be worth the wait.
Barbaric does not have a cast or release date yet.
English (US) · 