Villain of 2022 series gets origin story in new spinoff

Taylor Kitsch’s character ends up as a villain in the 2022 series “The Terminal List,” and in a new spinoff, viewers learn how he got that way.

“The Terminal List: Dark Wolf,” now streaming on Amazon, is set about five years before the original show. Kitsch plays Ben Edwards, a Navy SEAL deployed to Iraq who is assigned to train local soldiers. He feels a deep loyalty to his comrades but begins to question some of the decisions made above him.

“I take the utmost pride to be authentic and rooted in Ben,” Kitsch said, “but there’s a dark side to service.”

Prime Video is invested in “The Terminal List” universe. Production is underway on a second season starring Chris Pratt, and there are plans for more “Dark Wolf” — and perhaps stand-alone films. The franchise is based on novels by former SEAL Jack Carr, who is also a creator and executive producer on its shows.

“Hopefully we can keep swinging,” said Pratt who describes Carr as “a workhorse” with “no shortage of source material.”

Kitsch was intrigued to dive back in when he heard Carr and “Terminal List” co-creator and showrunner David DiGilio wanted to do more with his character.

“Anytime you get a call where it’s like, ‘Hey, we would love to do a full season and go way deeper into the psyche of the character you built, I mean of course, I was all ears,” Kitsch said.

How to watch

The first four episodes of “The Terminal List: Dark Wolf” are streaming on Amazon. A new episode will drop weekly on Wednesdays. The finale streams Sept. 24.

Where ‘Terminal List’ started

In “The Terminal List,” Pratt plays James Reece, a Navy SEALs lieutenant commander who goes on a quest for vengeance after his platoon is ambushed.

“I love playing James Reese,” he said. “But also I think James Reese is reaching that echelon of like a Jack Reacher or a Jack Ryan. There can be multiple iterations of this character over time. He now lives in the ethos of one of the greatest American badass heroes.”

Who else stars in the show?

Besides Kitsch and Pratt, the show features Luke Hemsworth and Tom Hopper.

“What’s so great about an origin story is we see the doors that these guys walk through and where it takes them,” Hopper said. “I think about that in my life, I look back on my life and go, ‘Oh, if I hadn’t walked through that door, then that would never have happened. I wouldn’t have met that person. It wouldn’t have led me there.’ ”

Real vets involved

“The Terminal List” employed actual military veterans to work in roles such as advisers and as background actors. They were also employed for “Dark Wolf.” Hemsworth said their presence was an incentive to make something they would be proud of.

“Everyone, particularly us as actors, feel a great weight and responsibility to make sure that it’s done very well,” he said.