Shōgun creator weighs in on the possibility of season 2 without the "roadmap" of another novel to adapt

With the Shōgun finale dropping this week, talk has predictably turned to the possibility of another installment of the historical drama. The show was always billed as a limited series, but that doesn't mean another season (or more) is totally out of the question – looking at you, Beef, The White Lotus, and Big Little Lies. 

However, co-creator Justin Marks thinks season 2 is unlikely without the "roadmap" of James Clavell's 1975 novel to work from. "I keep saying it’s like we want to let everyone be on the same page when it comes to the book. And hopefully now the TV audience and the book audience are on the same page with what the story is and where it resolves," Marks told The Hollywood Reporter. 

"I think if we had a story, if we could find a story, we would be open to it. But I don’t think that anyone ever wants to be out over their skis without a roadmap and everything. And it’s also just about, do people want more of it?"

Based on Clavell's novel of the same name and set in the early 17th Century, Shōgun sees English sailor John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) shipwrecked on the shores of Japan, where his path crosses with the powerful Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) and the mysterious samurai Lady Mariko (Anna Sawai). Rather than write a sequel to the book, Clavell opted to write more novels in his 'Asian Saga,' which were all set in different time periods and countries. 

Marks continued: "But it’s also about, not even topping the book, but, how do you even equal the roadmap that Clavell laid out? And I don’t know if it’s possible. I don’t know if Clavell could have done it either. That’s probably why he moved on to other books too, right? He knew what he had done. Yeah, it’s a tough one."

All episodes of Shōgun are streaming now on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK. For more, check out our guide to the best new TV shows coming our way in 2024 and beyond.