The History Channel’s Vikings was a cultural sensation, and the impact of the historical epic can be seen far and wide throughout the entertainment industry. After Michael Hirst’s offering ended, it spawned an equally popular spinoff, Vikings: Valhalla.
Now that the sequel series is coming to an end in 2024, the question is where the franchise could go next. It would make a lot of sense for Netflix to continue releasing related content while interest is still high.
Vikings Has Had a Massive Impact on Popular Culture
The impact that Vikings has had on popular culture can be seen everywhere, from other television series to games. For instance, there’s a strong chance that it directly inspired Stephen Butchard’s The Last Kingdom, which shared many similar themes with the 2013 offering. It could have also influenced Black Sails, which dropped on Starz a year after Vikings’ release.
There’s no doubt that Vikings has had an incredible effect on the gaming industry. Indeed, there are countless games across a wide range of platforms that are inspired by the Norse seafarers. The recent God of War and God of War: Ragnarok both used Norse mythology, and they are regarded among the top console games of all time. There are also various mobile offerings, such as Vikings: War of Clans.
The online bingo industry is now packed full of Vikings-inspired content, with developers seeking to capitalise on this trend. There are countless Norse-themed slot games, and the genre is also represented in the newer Slingo lists. Slingo hasn’t been available for that long, but Slingo Berserk was one of the earliest titles. That’s because the developers knew that Viking content would be a major draw for players.
Valhalla Ending After Season Three
Vikings: Valhalla has been an excellent spinoff and has brought more fans to the overall franchise. However, it was recently confirmed that it will be ending after the third season in 2024. This could be a good decision from creator Jeb Stuart, as it allows the series to stick concisely to its story without becoming drawn out and stale.
Many people are now wondering what will happen after Valhalla ends. In the modern age of television, streaming services are reluctant to simply conclude successful series without revisiting them in some way. Netflix already proved this with various other series, including Breaking Bad’s spinoff, Better Call Saul. That’s why there’s a strong chance there could be another spinoff after Valhalla.
Spinoff Could Explore Other Periods
The problem that the Vikings franchise is facing is the fact that the two programmes have covered most of the Viking age. A sequel, therefore, would have to explore later periods of history when the culture of the Norsemen was eradicated by Christianity.
That means any new spinoff may need to drop the name of Vikings to expand into other historical periods. This could work if the marketing was clear that the new offering was a relation to Vikings from the same creators.
It’s strange to think that the Vikings franchise could be coming to an end after Valhalla finishes. Both series have been so successful and influential in the mainstream that it would make a lot of sense to create another spinoff to keep the franchise alive.
