Fourth Wing TV show could be Amazon's answer to Netflix's massive fantasy deal

Fantasy stream wars found romantic rivals in Fourth Wing and Mercury. Both Netflix and Amazon are vying for dominance in the explosive romanticism subgenre.

Netflix is ​​adapting Mercury, while Amazon acquired the rights to Fourth Wing. The success of these shows will depend on their ability to capture the best parts of the books while navigating the complexities of long-term storytelling in the competitive streaming landscape. Fourth Wing could be Amazon's big hit after the cancellation of Shadow and Bone.

Amazon's Fourth Wing show will help it compete against Netflix's Quicksilver adaptation

Both shows are adaptations of romance books that are exploding in popularity

Following her viral success on BookTok, Callie Hart's Mercury was picked up for a Netflix adaptation. The romantic novel, which mixes fantasy with romance, debuted in first place on Amazon. Netflix has not yet revealed whether Mercury will be adapted as a film or series. However, Callie Hart will serve as executive producer alongside Elizabeth Cantillon, whose credits include producing Persuasion and The girl in the spider's web for the Cantillon Company. While Rings of Power and Wheel of Time on Prime Video they are more classic fantasy, Fourth Wing and Mercury are in the romance genre, making them more direct competitors.

Its future will be determined by how shows treat the source material. It's not just about getting Fourth Wing ​​​​​​right characters for TV. Netflix and Amazon have histories of programs ending prematurely. This trend is evident in Netflix's decision to conclude The wizard after season 5, despite the existence of nine novels in the original series. Mercury it's part of a confirmed trilogy, which gives it an edge in an increasingly volatile streaming market. Rebecca Yarros' Empyrean the series is planned for five books, making it more risky, but the popularity of the series will mitigate this.

The Fourth Wing TV Show Already Has a Huge Advantage Over Quicksilver

Fourth Wing's built-in fanbase is overwhelming, giving it an advantage

Fourth WingThe larger fan base of offers a clear advantage in the adaptation process. Amazon's focus on this project could allow them to quickly establish a foothold in the fantasy genre. Furthermore, the success of both series could be enhanced by the tendency for multiple points of view in fantasy and romanticism. Called Fourth Wing'In Xaden's Secret Project, Xaden's POV bonus chapters follow a trend most popularized by Stephenie Meyer. With its publication of Midnight Sun, Meyer left more room for future adaptations. Viewers will now see the fruits of that effort with the new Dusk animation.

Part of the deliberate frustration of reading Fourth Wing is being largely limited to Violet's point of view - Xaden's bonus chapters are a rare treat. The extra chapters of Mercury provide a similar appeal with Kingfisher's point of view. However, overall, Fourth Wing has an overwhelming fan base, setting the TV adaptation up for success. This in itself is a big advantage over Mercury. Amazon's biggest adaptation success was adapting the game precipitation, which follows Lucy's expanded perspective. They could take the same approach with Violet, who has a comparable arc of becoming disillusioned with her reality.