Author Brandon Sanderson has created multiple franchises that could rival the Marvel Cinematic Universe in popularity, but he needs to expand his multimedia presence to do so. Sanderson has established himself as one of the GOATS of fantasy fiction over the last twenty years, but his work has barely been adapted into other mediums like comics, movies and video games.
Brandon Sanderson is the author of the Mistborn books, The Stormlight Archive series, The Reckoners trilogy, and many more titles. He is best known for his immersive worldbuilding.
Any of the many fantasy and sci-fi worlds Sanderson has created could become a pop culture juggernaut, but that process starts with adaptation of his work into other mediums.
Brandon Sanderson Is At The Top Of The Fantasy Novel Game, But He Needs To Expand Into Other Mediums
Comics, Video Games, Movies, And TV; Sanderson’s Work Has Limitless Adaptation Potential
Since his 2005 debut, Brandon Sanderson has steadily become a household name, if anyone in your household reads fantasy novels. Sanderson is prolific, having published dozens of novels, novellas, and short stories. He is lauded for his ability to work on both the large-scale mythic level of the sci-fi and fantasy genre and the intimate character level.
Aside from a trilogy of graphic novels, though, Sanderson hasn’t forayed outside prose much. Limited licensed material based on his work has come out. There has yet to be a Brandon Sanderson video game; a Mistborn film adaptation was in development, but is reportedly not moving forward at this time.
In the modern multimedia landscape, Brandon Sanderson’s books could be heavyweight competitors, even MCU-level hits. Yet if film and TV adaptations are running into roadblocks, it might be time to turn to comics to start expanding Sanderson’s reach. Book franchises like Mistborn, and especially The Reckoners, feel ripe for adaptation and expansion in the comic book medium.
Brandon Sanderson’s “Mistborn” And Other Franchises Could Reach MCU or “Game Of Thrones” Levels Of Popularity
Comparing Sanderson’s Career Trajectory To Another Fantasy Great
Let’s put this conversation into perspective a bit. Marvel Comics traces its history back nearly 100 years, but it’s fair to say Marvel, as fans know it today, started in the early ’60s. Marvel was a hallowed pop culture institution from that point onward, but it still took nearly 50 years for it to reach its true zenith of global popularity.
That came with the dawn of the MCU. A better analog for Brandon Sanderson, though, is George R.R. Martin. Martin began his writing career in 1970; he started his award-winning A Song of Fire and Ice series in 1996. Yet it wasn’t until HBO’s Game of Thrones became massively successful that the author of the books became a recognizable figure himself.
Brandon Sanderson has started to carve out a niche for himself as a speaker and creative writing guru, in addition to the increasing popularity of his novels. Yet his existing fans are still waiting for that moment where he “breaks” mainstream, and achieves full-on household name-status, thanks to a successful adaptation of his work.
Sanderson’s “The Reckoners” Could Be The Next “The Boys,” But Why Isn’t An Adaptation A Priority?
A Presence Across Mediums Is Vital For Growing An Audience
The comic medium feels like a natural fit for Brandon Sanderson’s stories to flourish in. The Reckoners books, most notably, offer the author’s take on a superhero story. The novel trilogy is, in certain ways, akin to a less caustic The Boys, another franchise that offers a worthwhile parallel to Sanderson’s work.
Garth Ennis’ satirical superhero comic, published between 2006 and 2012, was highly regarded among comic readers from start to finish, but the Amazon adaptation, which debuted in 2019, has exponentially increased its exposure to a wider audience. As much as Brandon Sanderson dominates the fantasy novel market, this is the next step fans are eager for him to take.
Look online, and plenty of Sanderson readers are discussing which books they’d love to have adapted as video games, or comics, or, of course, for the screen. The question is, to what extent is taking that next step out of the author’s control; alternatively, what can he do to make it happen?
Sanderson’s Work Deserves To Expand Beyond His Novels
As mentioned, Brandon Sanderson has cultivated a presence on social media and YouTube, in which he gives valuable writing advice. This has served as great promotion for his books; in a unique quirk of modern media, it has helped push him toward that household-name status even without a major adaptation to his name.
Still, expansion into other mediums should be on Sanderson’s mind. He might want to proceed carefully, as George R.R. Martin’s own infamous career path over the last fifteen years suggests. Yet for some who has created volumes of iconic work in just two decades, Sanderson deserves to expand his reach and influence.
Like novels, comics don’t have the cultural cache of film and television, but it does offer a new frontier for Brandon Sanderson’s existing franchises to develop further. The White Sands graphic novel trilogy shows Sanderson’s interest in the medium, but it might also be time for him to let others work on his licensed IP.
Mistborn, The Reckoners, or any of Sanderson’s Alcatraz, or Cytoverse books for younger audiences, could find a new audience in comic form. Adaptation and multimedia expansion are the names of the game in contemporary pop culture, and if Brandon Sanderson can master that game, he could produce an MCU-level juggernaut.
