Citadel: Diana

Showrunner Gina Gardini of Citadel: Diana elucidates the future spinoff's role within the Prime Video espionage series. Citadel: Diana is a spinoff of Citadel that was created by Alessandro Fabbri and is set in Italy. Matilda De Angelis plays the title character, a Citadel agent who is working undercover to infiltrate and destroy the deadly Manticore syndicate. With Citadel: Honey Bunny slated to be an India-based installment, the Prime Video series is a part of a broader ambition to expand the Citadel property.

Citadel: Diana and Citadel: Honey Bunny are both meant to be stand-alone adventures within the wider universe, according to Gardini's recent interview with Screen Rant. Those who did not see the original series will still be able to watch and comprehend the spinoffs without any problems, the showrunner claims. See Gardini's complete remark below:

I'm not able to discuss the overall strategy, but the original idea was to produce a collection of shows that were essentially stand-alone series, with the only thing connecting them being the Citadel universe and these two competing agencies. The possibilities were endless after that.

Regarding the three current series, you don't absolutely need to have seen Citadel in order to enjoy or comprehend Citadel: Diana or Honey Bunny. In the same way that occasionally you feel like you're missing something when you see something in the Marvel universe—that is, you might be missing a piece, or something similar—there are elements that, if you've seen them or you've seen them all, have subtle nods where it's entertaining, but they're not necessities.

The Implications of Gardini's Diana Update for the Citadel Series

With a current 51% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the original Citadel series did not earn a lot of positive reviews from critics. With a reported budget of over $300 million, the program was also extremely costly because of reshoots and other backstage problems. Although Citadel didn't appear to be a big hit given its price, plans to expand the brand beyond Italy and India were already underway when the series debuted.

Gardini's remark regarding the MCU is noteworthy, but it's unclear if Diana or Honey Bunny will be able to draw viewers in a way that the mothership series was unable to. One of the main criticisms leveled against the MCU in recent years is that the interconnected web of films and TV series has become too much for casual fans to keep up with, and what happens in one project could be unclear to someone who hasn't watched it. Citadel isn't as big of a brand as the MCU, but this issue might be avoided if each spinoff was treated as a separate entity.

Our View of Citadel: Diana's Independence

It would not be shocking if Diana and Honey Bunny are the only two spinoffs to continue, given how costly Citadel was allegedly and how comparatively unsuccessful it appeared to be. Citadel season 2 is still scheduled to air, despite the fact that the franchise hasn't really connected with North American viewers. The primary show might not receive a third season unless the response for the current season significantly improves.

However, it's probable that Prime Video users in India and Italy will be far more open to the concept. The two spinoffs might continue even if the more North America-focused show doesn't. Citadel: Diana and Honey Bunny might both become hits with global audiences if there is no barrier to entry. This is especially true given that they have new creative teams and obviously have a lot of storytelling freedom.