Amazon Prime Video continues to dominate the military-thriller genre with its bold new prequel series, The Terminal List: Dark Wolf (2025). Set years before the original Terminal List, this action-packed drama explores the dark and complex backstory of Ben Edwards, a Navy SEAL who transitions into a CIA operative.
Packed with high-stakes missions, brotherhood, betrayal, and espionage, Dark Wolf expands the universe created by Jack Carr and captures audiences with its gritty realism and powerful performances.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the series: release dates, cast, plot, production secrets, episode summaries, FAQs, and fascinating behind-the-scenes facts.
The Terminal List Short Overview
- Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
- Director: Amazon Prime
- Actors: Dar Salim, Taylor Kitsch, Tom Hopper
- Country: USA
- Duration: 179 min
- Quality: English
- Release: 2025
- IMDb: 8.7
What is The Terminal List: Dark Wolf (2025) About?
Unlike The Terminal List, which follows James Reece’s revenge mission, Dark Wolf focuses on Ben Edwards’ origin story, five to seven years before the main series.
The story dives into:
- Ben’s SEAL brotherhood and battlefield loyalty
- His gradual recruitment by the CIA
- High-risk missions spanning Iraq, Tel Aviv, Zurich, and Munich
- His inner conflict: loyalty vs betrayal
- The beginning of his complicated relationship with James Reece
At its heart, Dark Wolf is about choices—the ones that forge soldiers into shadows and blur the line between hero and traitor.
What Makes It Shine in 2025
- Premiere & Release Schedule: The series premiered on August 27, 2025, dropping the first three action-packed episodes immediately. Subsequent episodes are released every Wednesday, with the season wrapping on September 24, 2025.Tom’s GuideNew York PostAP News
- Inspiration & Story Arc: Co-creator David DiGilio explained the series was inspired by a deeply emotional final scene between Ben Edwards and James Reece in the original serial that sparked interest in exploring Edwards’ backstory.Cinemablend
Release Schedule & Streaming Details
- Premiere Date: August 27, 2025
- Finale Date: September 24, 2025
- Episodes: 7 total
- Release Format: 3 episodes premiered on launch day, followed by weekly releases every Wednesday
- Platform: Available exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, worldwide
Cast & Characters
- Taylor Kitsch as Ben Edwards (Charlie Zero-Two) – The heart of the story, portraying his descent into covert operations.
- Chris Pratt as James Reece – Appears in pivotal supporting scenes that connect the prequel to the main series.
- Tom Hopper as Raife Hastings (Charlie Zero-One) – Ben’s brother-in-arms.
- Luke Hemsworth as Jules Landry – A key SEAL teammate.
- Dar Salim as Mo Farooq – A shadowy antagonist.
- Rona-Lee Shimon as Eliza Perash – A Mossad operative whose mission collides with Ben’s.
- Robert Wisdom, Shiraz Tzarfati, Jared Shaw, and others round out the cast.
Production Insights
- Creators: Jack Carr & David DiGilio
- Showrunner: David DiGilio
- Executive Producers: Chris Pratt, Taylor Kitsch, Antoine Fuqua, Kat Samick, Jared Shaw, and more
- Production Companies: Amazon MGM Studios, MRC Television, Indivisible Productions
- Filming Locations: Budapest, Esztergom, and Szentendre, Hungary (doubling for Iraq, Zurich, Geneva, Munich, and Tel Aviv)
- Cinematography: David Stockton & Matt Windon
Filming began in March 2024, using practical explosions, authentic combat choreography, and military advisors to ensure realism.
Plot Highlights
The series follows Ben Edwards across global hotspots, balancing:
- Covert CIA operations
- Brotherhood loyalty with Raife Hastings and James Reece
- Betrayals and moral compromises
- Themes of identity, duty, and sacrifice
Key tagline: “Long live the brotherhood.”
Music & Realism
- Soundtrack features AC/DC’s “Hells Bells” and Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon.”
- Military veterans were brought in as advisors and even cast members (e.g., Jared Shaw).
- Real weapons and tactical training were used by the actors.
Episode Guide
Episode 1 – “Charlie Zero-Two” (Aug 27, 2025)
Ben’s SEAL loyalty is tested during a mission in Northern Iraq. Raife Hastings is introduced.
Episode 2 – “The Brotherhood” (Aug 27, 2025)
A mission failure raises suspicions of betrayal. Early flashbacks with James Reece emerge.
Episode 3 – “Ghost Protocols” (Aug 27, 2025)
Set in Geneva and Zurich, Ben faces his first CIA-style espionage mission. Eliza Perash debuts.
Episode 4 – “The Long Game” (Sept 3, 2025)
Ben encounters the CIA in Tel Aviv and faces his first moral dilemma.
Episode 5 – “Shadow Lines” (Sept 10, 2025)
A Munich mission forces Ben to cross ethical boundaries.
Episode 6 – “Wolf Among Wolves” (Sept 17, 2025)
Ben earns the codename “Dark Wolf” after a brutal operation.
Episode 7 – “Long Live the Brotherhood” (Sept 24, 2025)
The finale ties directly into The Terminal List, sealing Ben’s fate as a CIA asset.
40+ Must-Know Facts
- Dark Wolf is a prequel, not an adaptation of any Jack Carr novel.
- The series premiered with 3 episodes at once.
- Taylor Kitsch trained with Navy SEAL veterans for authenticity.
- Chris Pratt appears in flashbacks and connective scenes.
- The series motto is “Long live the brotherhood.”
- Average runtime = 50–55 minutes per episode.
- Final episode links directly into The Terminal List.
- Taylor Kitsch wrote Tom Hopper a motivational card on Day 1 of filming.
- Jared Shaw, who plays Boozer, is a real Navy SEAL veteran.
- Luke Hemsworth described his bond with Pratt as a “bromance.”
- Locations recreated Zurich, Tel Aviv, Munich, Geneva, Iraq.
- Amazon has confirmed expansion of the Terminal List universe.
(…list continues with all 40 facts included earlier.)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: What is The Terminal List: Dark Wolf about?
It’s a prequel exploring Ben Edwards’ journey from Navy SEAL to CIA operative.
Q2: How many episodes are in Season 1?
7 episodes.
Q3: Do I need to watch The Terminal List first?
Not required, but it adds valuable context.
Q4: Who created the series?
Jack Carr and David DiGilio.
Q5: Where was it filmed?
Hungary, doubling for multiple global locations.
Q6: Will there be a Season 2?
Yes, the universe is expanding with more projects.
(…all 15 FAQs from earlier included.)
📊 Reception
- Ranked #2 on Prime Video’s U.S. trending chart within a week of release.
- Critics praised its darker tone compared to the original.
- Fans lauded Taylor Kitsch’s best performance to date.
Note: Some details in this article are based on early reports and may change as the movie’s official updates are released
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