8 stories from Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere we need adapted onscreen

The Cosmere Cinematic Universe

Let’s end by discussing the holy grail of Sanderson adaptations: a Cosmere cinematic universe. I know what you’re thinking: everyone wants to cinematic universes these days, do we really need one for Sanderson’s books?

In my opinion, the answer is unequivocally yes, because the Cosmere is basically designed as the book equivalent of a cinematic universe. There are themes and plotlines that tie various series together, as well as characters who make the leap from one series to another. The easiest example is Hoid, a mysterious character who has appeared in every single one of Sanderson’s Cosmere books, but there are plenty of others. As the Cosmere grows, these ties have only gotten stronger.

Building the Cosmere as a cinematic universe is the only real way to do it justice. Just like in the books, the ties between series could be small at first before building into the larger crossovers we get in books like Oathbringer, the third entry in The Stormlight Archive.

Doing a cinematic universe would also be a great way to bring in some of Sanderson’s smaller Cosmere stories which wouldn’t really be able to stand on their own, such as the short fiction contained in his Arcanum Unbounded collection. These range from standalone tales set on totally new worlds, like Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell, to essential Cosmere stories like Mistborn: Secret History. Stories like Secret History wouldn’t make much sense adapted in isolation but are vital to the overarching narrative of the interconnected universe.

Following his record-shattering Kickstarter campaign in 2022, Sanderson gave an interview with CBS Mornings where he said his big dream is to be the Stan Lee of the Cosmere, leaving behind a wealth of stories that influence people’s lives in positive ways. With an interconnected Cosmere cinematic universe, he could realize that dream onscreen too. Maybe he could make cameos in the adaptation just like Stan Lee did in the MCU. After all, if Hoid can pop up wherever he pleases, there’s no reason Sanderson can’t cameo in similar fashion.

What do you think of our rankings? Are there some Cosmere books you’d like to see adapted more than others? Let us know in the comments!

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