What Happened to The 100 Universe Prequel? A 2025 Look Back at the Lost Spinoff

The cancellation of The 100 prequel was announced back on November 5, 2021, but even now, in 2025, the decision still feels frustrating. The CW had the project in development for more than two years before dropping it, and I remember thinking the network made a huge mistake. Earlier that same year, CW president Mark Pedowitz insisted the prequel was still being discussed. Looking back now, those comments feel hollow. For me, it still feels like a wasted opportunity, and the farther we get from 2021, the more I believe we could’ve had something special.

The Prequel’s World Had Real Potential

The series, likely titled The 100: Second Dawn, was designed to take us 97 years before Clarke stepped onto Earth. It would’ve explored the nuclear apocalypse and the early survivors trying to rebuild life from nothing. I always wanted to see Ark generation one since that group had to deal with problems the original series only hinted at. The first Grounders, the early Mount Weather survivors, Becca’s influence, ALIE’s origins — the franchise already had enough material to build an entire universe. Even with all that, I sometimes wonder if a prequel could truly escape the feeling that we already knew the ending. Some days I even think the original show’s finale made a prequel unnecessary.

“Anaconda” Showed What the Prequel Could’ve Become

The backdoor pilot, “Anaconda”, premiered in 2020 during Season 7, and I thought it was one of the strongest episodes that year. The acting felt top-tier. Iola Evans gave Callie real presence, and I genuinely believed she could lead a full show. Reese added friction, and August helped ground the emotional side of the story. People questioned the cast back then, but I never understood why. The number of films an actor appears in doesn’t decide skill. Even now, watching “Anaconda” again, I still feel the same disappointment — the episode had me hoping for a full series, and instead it went nowhere!

The Network Shift That Crushed Its Chances

By the time Nexstar took over The CW in 2022, it was clear scripted shows were becoming less of a priority. The network leaned toward cheaper reality TV and sports, and personally, I find most of that content hard to watch. The era of the old CW — the one that gave us the Arrowverse — feels long gone now. After COVID-19 disrupted everything, budgets tightened, and the network focused on shows that still had steady ratings. The 100 wasn’t one of them by Season 7. Even though I thought it was better than a lot of shows airing at the time, the numbers kept dropping. Looking back now, I feel like any spinoff would’ve eventually been cancelled under Nexstar anyway.

Questions the Prequel Could've Finally Answered

One of the reasons I still wish we got the prequel is the cultural evolution question. I always found it strange how fast language and belief systems shifted in just 100 years. I get how new languages can spread, but I never understood why people accepted new religions so quickly. A prequel could’ve helped fill those gaps. At the same time, I had worries too. After Season 4, the original series became difficult to follow. The finale left major mysteries unresolved, like who the aliens were or why the test existed. The show gave closure to some characters, but it also left holes that still bother me in 2025.

Mixed Feelings About Closure and Continuation

The original ending still sparks debate years later. For me, it wasn’t the disaster that other TV finales became, but it did feel uneven. Sometimes I think stopping after ALIE would’ve created a cleaner finish. The final scenes showed closure, but watching humanity end with a tiny infertile group still feels strange today. Maybe that’s why many of us begged for the prequel. It felt like a chance to rebuild the show’s legacy and create something that scratched the same itch the early seasons did. I wanted that feeling again, even if prequels are overdone.

What’s Left of Second Dawn Today

As of late 2025, the situation hasn’t changed. Jason Rothenberg hasn’t moved the prequel to another outlet, and nothing new has been announced. The project lives only in “Anaconda”, old interviews, and the frustration fans still carry. Every time I rewatch the backdoor pilot, I’m reminded of how much story was never explored. The prequel had enough lore, enough conflict, and enough mystery to bring the franchise back to life. Instead, we’re left imagining what the world of The 100 could’ve looked like with one more story to tell.