Prime Video's $300M Spy Series Tried to Build a Franchise Like the MCU

In today's entertainment space, established IP is everything. Studios are prioritizing franchises now more than ever before, eager to build up the next big property to fuel fan imaginations and endless sequels and spin-offs. Among the most successful in this area is the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and even if recent years have seen it struggle, that hasn't stopped other creatives from trying to emulate it. From the DC Universe to Star Wars, the post-MCU franchise is all about the expanded universe.

Prime Video sought to join this trend, just with a little twist. Rather than building a franchise out of a previously established bit of IP, former Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke partnered with MCU creatives Joe and Anthony Russo, as well as Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec, to create a global spy thriller that would spawn multiple spin-offs and give Prime Video an extra franchise for its arsenal. Enter: Citadel. On paper, it seemed to make sense, but reality has proven differently. With a budget of $300 million, according to recent FlixPatrol data, Citadel is Prime Video's second-most expensive series ever; thus far, it hasn't become the success its creators hoped it would be.

'Citadel's Early Creative Problems Led to a Huge Budget

Citadel dropped its six-episode first season in 2023, throwing viewers right into its action-packed world of espionage and shady villains. The story centers on spies Mason Kane (Richard Madden) and Nadia Sinh (Priyanka Chopra), agents for the eponymous organization dedicated to protecting everyday citizens from the competing, dangerous interests of most countries' own intelligence communities. When Citadel is betrayed and a mission goes sideways, Mason and Nadia lose their memories and go on to lead normal lives until, eight years later, a resurfaced bit of Citadel tech brings them back into the fold.

The series was met with mixed reviews upon release, and it didn't seem to pull in many viewers; per Variety at the time, it had difficulty breaking into Nielsen's weekly streaming Top 10. Even before it premiered, though, it faced substantial problems. After production wrapped on Season 1, creative differences between the Russos and Appelbaum and Nemec led to the latter duo's exit and extensive reshoots that sent Citadel's budget, which was originally $160 million, even higher (via The Hollywood Reporter).

The hefty budget would already be concerning for an original streaming show, but Prime Video's aspirations for Citadel complicated matters even further. It was greenlit to generate international spin-offs that would introduce other Citadel agents, thus expanding the onscreen universe and producing even more stories. Two have already been released — Citadel: Diana and Citadel: Honey Bunny — and while they were decently received internationally, they were also both canceled after one season. Additional spin-offs have since been placed on hold, while Citadel Season 2 awaits a release date.

The Citadel Franchise Has an Uncertain Future on Prime Video

Citadel Season 2 will likely roll out sometime this year. Production has already been completed, but as the show was bumped from 2025, it isn't yet clear whether additional creative problems will prolong the wait. Prime Video won't want another round of costly reshoots, but it also needs to make up some serious ground when it comes to winning over audiences. With the $300 million price tag and the future of the Citadel expanded universe weighing on it, the series needs to become a much bigger hit than it was when it first premiered. Unfortunately, it already has the baggage of a divisive Season 1 and a three-year gap between releases.

Citadel is just another example of a burgeoning franchise making the critical mistake of getting too far ahead of itself. The creative team already had an eye on the spin-offs while developing the flagship show, rather than starting simple and building up a really strong first installment. On some level, planning for the future is understandable when creating a wider universe. However, Citadel is a wholly original property, and in order to draw in fans in the first place, it needed to make a really compelling case for why they should invest in this ride. Instead, the overall reception to Season 1 seemed to be that it was an entertaining spy thriller, but not one that seemed worth the massive budget. With minimal awareness of the flagship, Diana and Honey Bunny didn't seem as urgent to general audiences.

Citadel Season 2 could end up being a huge improvement on the first, one that sparks the kind of word-of-mouth that can increase viewership and give the whole franchise goodwill. Prime Video hitting pause on additional spin-offs is a smart move for now, since it can give the main series time to get on its feet. It's what the streamer should've done since the very beginning. Only time will tell if there's hope for the future, or if Citadel really has fallen for good.