Seth MacFarlane to Develop Dungeon Crawler Carl Series for Peacock

Matt Dinniman’s popular sci-fi series, Dungeon Crawler Carl, takes readers on a wild ride with a contestant in an alien reality show, navigating a dungeon that has stripped Earth of its resources. Exciting news is on the horizon, as a live-action adaptation is in the works for Peacock, with Seth MacFarlane and Dinniman serving as executive producers, allowing fans to see aliens watch Carl in action.

Chris Yost, known for his work on Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: The Dark World, will be writing the series and also stepping in as an executive producer. With seven books already published in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series and an eighth, A Parade of Horribles, set to drop on May 12, Yost has a wealth of material to draw from. The story follows Carl, a Coast Guard veteran, as he battles aliens, monsters, and other human survivors, all while trying to entertain viewers with the help of his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut.

Dungeon Crawler Carl stands out as a cornerstone of the LitRPG genre, blending elements from tabletop RPGs and dungeon-crawler video games, showcasing characters who fight monsters, gather gear, and level up their abilities. Originally self-published, the series has achieved remarkable success, selling six million copies and being translated into 20 languages.

The franchise is expanding rapidly. At San Diego Comic-Con in July, Playmates will unveil several lines of Dungeon Crawler Carl toys. Renegade Game Studios is set to launch a Backerkit campaign on April 14 for a tabletop RPG that allows players to create their own dungeon crawlers. Additionally, they are crowdfunding a deckbuilder game that can be played solo or cooperatively, featuring cards that represent gear and abilities that evolve during gameplay. A graphic novel extension of Dungeon Crawler Carl, titled Crocodile, raised an impressive $2.6 million in a 2025 Backerkit campaign, and a graphic novel adaptation of the first book is scheduled for release on May 19.