‘Wheel of Time’ Star ‘Gutted’ Over Cancellation

The Wheel of Time star Natasha O’Keefe is speaking out about the cancellation.

In May, it was reported that Prime Video had canceled the fan-favorite fantasy series after three seasons.

Despite the series being loved by many and having a strong 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, the decision to cancel The Wheel of Time was ultimately purely financial. News of the cancellation came just weeks after the Season 3 finale, and even over three months later, it still stings. Natasha O’Keefe, who joined the adaptation in the second season as Lanfear, told Collider she was shocked.

“I assumed Rafe [Judkins], who is the showrunner on the show, would know this news well in advance, but everyone was hopeful,” she explained. “It felt like we only got started. It felt like Season 3 had landed itself ready to take flight. So yeah, we’re really gutted. Lanfear was only warming up.”

“I guess you take the hit, and then you just have to sort of move on,” O’Keefe continued. “It’s really gutting. Nobody said goodbye properly because we assumed we’d see each other in the next season. They’re a lovely team, too. For a big series and a big fantasy show, it was a real family effort, a family team that was created there. So it’s a bit of just dusting yourself off and going, ‘Okay, then.’”

An adaptation of the book series of the same name by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, The Wheel of Time’s ensemble cast also stars Rosamund Pike, Daniel Henney, Zoë Robbins, Madeleine Madden, Josha Stradowski, Marcus Rutherford, Kate Fleetwood, Priyanka Bose, Hammed Animashaun, Sophie Okonedo, and Kae Alexander. The series is set in a sprawling, epic world where magic exists and only certain women are allowed to access it, with Pike’s Moiraine embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young men and women.

“All I can say is that I have to look forward and not look back too much, and just really appreciate that I got to do what I did and wear those fantastic outfits and try to bring a fantasy novel character to the world,” she said. “That’s all I can do, really. I’m sorry that it isn’t going into Season 4. Really, truly.”

Cancellations are never easy, especially when a show seemed poised for another season. At the very least, all three seasons of The Wheel of Time are streaming on Prime Video.