Taylor Kitsch steps back into the world of The Terminal List with Dark Wolf, a prequel spin-off that shifts the spotlight to his Ben, the morally gray Navy SEAL whose past is finally brought into sharper focus. In this installment, Ben takes the lead role from Chris Pratt, weaving a backstory that shows how he ends up moving through the clandestine corners of warfare and into the CIA’s Special Operations fold.
Dark Wolf traces the events leading up to the original series, where Pratt’s lieutenant commander James Reece and his squad were ambushed and forced into a mission of vengeance and justice. In the prequel, Ben is stripped of his trident after a split-second decision and must navigate a new, tighter leash on his actions as he dives into covert operations and the criminal underbelly of conflict. The setup promises a tighter, more adrenaline-fueled thriller atmosphere where Ben’s war-raw instincts collide with a world that demands results by any means necessary.
Kitsch describes a personal and professional sprint to bring the character fully into focus. He confirms that the transition from the rugged mountain man of an 1850s western to the relentless SEAL on Dark Wolf was physically and emotionally demanding. He broke his foot and endured a bone removal during his time on Primeval, then had only ten days to pack on weight and prepare for the new season. He also leaned on prior experience with Ben, noting that being involved in shaping the spin-off helped him hit the ground running. “I knew where we were going,” he says, underscoring how familiarity with the character and the story provided a necessary edge for the new material.
The method behind Dark Wolf leans into the same core question that defined The Terminal List: how far would a person bend the rules when the line between duty and excess becomes blurred? For Ben, the line is not just gray—it’s a flexible threshold that tests the limits of engagement. As Kitsch puts it, the team aimed to “Ben-ify” the spin-off, asking repeatedly, “What would Ben do?” The result, he explains, is a version of the story where Ben’s trigger finger and wariness toward authority collide with a mission-driven mindset that doesn’t always align with conventional military protocol.
In practical terms, that means more freedom and less red tape. Dark Wolf is described as a “fucking gong show”—a high-octane blend of club-night showdowns and explosive city-set pieces that underscore the chaos of Ben’s world when he’s operating with fewer constraints. The project leans into the energy and unpredictability that gave the original its edge, while expanding the character’s arc and the universe around him.
The production also leans on a tight-knit network of veterans and collaborators who have shaped Kitsch’s approach to the role. Ray Mendoza, a former Navy SEAL who co-wrote and directed Warfare with Alex Garland, has been a long-time influence on Kitsch’s portrayal of Ben, contributing to both performance and preparation. Mendoza’s mentorship, alongside Marcus Luttrell—the lone survivor whose experiences inspire the larger Terminal List world—helps ground the series in authentic veteran perspectives and real-world stakes. For Kitsch, these connections are more than talent-pool chatter; they’re a lifeline to the realities of service and a reminder of why telling these stories matters.
The ambition behind Dark Wolf, according to Kitsch, is not simply to crank up the action but to illuminate the darker facets of service and the moral complexity that accompanies it. The prequel invites audiences to see how a character who operates in the shadows handles the pressure of maintaining a personal code when regulatory oversight and official rules are not always present. It’s a project that promises to deepen the emotional resonance of the franchise while delivering the visceral intensity fans expect.
If there’s a hopeful angle to take, it’s that this spin-off continues a trend toward character-driven military drama that doesn’t shy away from the consequences of war. By giving Ben a broader backstory and pushing him into more nuanced moral territory, Dark Wolf has the potential to expand The Terminal List’s universe in new, compelling directions while offering Kitsch a platform to showcase the full spectrum of his performance chops.
Summary: The Terminal List: Dark Wolf places Taylor Kitsch front and center as Ben, navigating a post-trident world in a prequel that explores his path into covert operations and the darker side of service. With Pratt returning in the ensemble, a focus on grey-area decision-making, and a high-octane, loosely tethered structure, the series aims to deliver more depth and intensity to a franchise built on war-weary realism and moral ambiguity. If the creative team can balance the adrenaline with the character work, Dark Wolf could become a standout evolution of the series’ world.
Additional note: If you’re reporting on this for a news site, it might be worth highlighting how Dark Wolf ties into current conversations about veterans’ experiences, moral injury, and the portrayal of military ethics in television. It also sets up potential for cross-pollination with real-world veterans’ stories and the broader discourse around post-service identity and purpose.