Critical Role Royalty Aims for 'Dungeon Crawler Carl' TV Adaptation

Critical Role, an entity that has revolutionized tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) storytelling, has expanded its entertainment empire from web series to acclaimed animated adaptations like "The Legend of Vox Machina" and "The Mighty Nein" on Prime Video. With a massive following and a reputation for unparalleled fantasy narratives, including their latest campaign launched in October 2025, Critical Role's members are celebrated icons in the D&D community and accomplished actors. This unique blend of expertise and talent makes them ideal candidates for Peacock's highly anticipated "Dungeon Crawler Carl" series.

During a live Collider Ladies Night event in Los Angeles, Critical Role's Laura Bailey, Marisha Ray, and Ashley Johnson participated in a fan-casting segment called "Dicey Questions." Bailey, engrossed in the "Dungeon Crawler Carl" literary series, promptly suggested casting her colleague, Marisha Ray, in the show, and also revealed a role she personally desires to play.

"Dungeon Crawler Carl" is a literary role-playing game series penned by author Matt Dinniman, which begins with an alien invasion that devastates Earth. Survivors are compelled to enter the 18-level World Dungeon, a massive arena constructed from Earth's resources for a deadly game show. Participants, known as "crawlers" – including the protagonist Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat, Donut – must navigate each level, interact with NPCs, choose their character race and class, gather supplies, and battle formidable bosses. Failure to progress to the next level within a strict time limit results in the collapse of the current level, claiming all remaining crawlers.

The first book in Dinniman's series achieved significant success, leading to the publication of eight novels by May 2026. In 2024, Universal International Studios and Seth MacFarlane's Fuzzy Door secured the adaptation rights in a highly competitive bidding process. Recently, Peacock officially greenlit the project with a straight-to-series order, indicating that casting decisions may be made in the near future.

Laura Bailey, deeply immersed in the "Dungeon Crawler Carl" books, expressed her excitement about the adaptation during Collider Ladies Night. Her immediate fan-casting choice for Marisha Ray was the character Samantha. Bailey explained that an unusual visual of Ray from the video podcast "Weird Kids" – her head on a small body with a high ponytail – sparked the idea. Given the fantastical nature of "Dungeon Crawler Carl," where a cat like Donut gains sapience from an enchanted biscuit, the character of Samantha, who is a sex doll described by Bailey as "hilarious and psycho" and "just a head," fits the series' eccentric tone. Ray humorously responded to the pitch, joking, "I’ll do anything. Look, Hollywood, I’ll do anything," and acknowledged that Bailey's description made her eager to read the books.

Furthermore, Bailey passionately stated her own desire to portray Donut in the "Dungeon Crawler Carl" series. As a seasoned voice acting professional, her ability to deliver extreme vocal performances would be a perfect match for the sapient feline companion. Indeed, all members of Critical Role possess extensive acting resumes and demonstrate incredible range as performers, evident in their work such as "The Legend of Vox Machina," which recently concluded its fourth season. Their combined creative potential and connection to TTRPGs would undoubtedly elevate the buzz for this D&D-inspired book-turned-TV show.