Amazon Prime Video has just made a stunning move on two big Citadel spinoffs while announcing a new target date for season 2 of the mothership!
Citadel made a huge splash on Prime Video when it premiered in 2023. Created by Anthony and Joe Russo of MCU fame, the series stars Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra-Jonas as secret agents for Citadel, a top spy organization. When Citadel is wiped out by enemy agency Manticore, the pair are rendered amnesiac before reuniting to find justice.
The show had a massive push with a reported $200 million+ budget for its six episodes. It did get big viewing numbers and soon the basis for a new franchise.
The first spinoff show was Citadel: Diana, filmed in Italy and focusing on Matilda De Angelis as a Citadel agent working undercover in Manticore. The second was Citadel: Honey Bunny, a prequel showing how Nadia’s (Chopra-Jones) parents met as Citadel agents in the 1990s.
It was clear that Prime Video was hoping to build this franchise up with more spinoffs. However, Deadline reports that now both Diana and Honey Bunny have been canceled. Moreover, plans for more Citadel spinoffs are on hold.
At the same time, Amazon stated that season 2 of the mothership Citadel is set to premiere in 2026. Vernon Sanders, head of television at Amazon MGM Studios, made a statement on the cancellations and the future of the franchise.
“Having successfully traversed India and Italy, storylines from both Citadel: Honey Bunny and Citadel: Diana will be woven into the upcoming second season of the mothership series Citadel. While these successful and widely enjoyed international chapters will not continue as individual series, Season 2 of Citadel will be our most exhilarating yet. With high-stakes storytelling, new additions to our amazing cast and bold, cinematic ambition, the new season will deepen the emotional journeys of Nadia, Mason and Orlick against the relentless force that is Manticore. We’re excited to share what’s next when Citadel Season 2 premieres globally in Q2 of 2026.”
Sanders’ words indicate that it’s not the total end for the Diana or Honey Bunny stories. It sounds like De Angelis may appear in Citadel season 2 as Diana to bring her story to a close, while flashbacks can show more of the Honey Bunny subplot. This may be a bit surprising, but it sounds like there are good reasons for these two series being axed.
Why is the Citadel franchise being curtailed?
It does appear that Amazon made the classic mistake of trying to expand the show into a franchise far too fast. While the first season of Citadel was successful, it wasn’t quite the massive global hit Prime Video was hoping for. Likewise, while Diana and Honey Bunny worked well in their local markets in Italy and India, they failed to break out with global Prime Video viewers.
The huge budgets are also a concern along with the delay on season 2. However, a big reason is likely the departure of Amazon MGM Studios head Jennifer Salke, who had pushed the project ahead. When a key executive departs, it’s likely their passion project will also suffer.
Another reason is the recent blockbuster deal in which Amazon gained ownership of the James Bond property, with rumors of planned shows and films based on Bond characters. In other words, if Amazon has 007, why do they need some sort of knockoff spy adventure?
Citadel season 2 is still set for 2026, with post-production work going ahead. But the axing of its spinoffs hints that maybe this franchise isn’t going to be the long-range spy adventure Prime Video wanted and Citadel’s missions could be ending.
Citadel, Citadel: Diana and Citadel: Honey Bunny are streaming on Prime Video.