Sons Of Anarchy Is Officially Abandoning Its Original Universe

Published Sep 20, 2026, 11:45 AM EDT

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With a strange new twist in its storytelling direction, Sons of Anarchy is abandoning its original universe. The main Sons of Anarchy series and its spin-off, Mayans M.C. followed the stories of two distinct biker gangs. Owing to this, even their main characters were different. However, despite being different from each other in more ways than one, both shows took place in the same world.

Surprisingly, Sons of Anarchy's upcoming spin-off, Legends, has no interest in expanding the franchise's existing universe. Instead, it is taking a bold creative leap where it is abandoning everything from the original show's overarching world to its biker gangs. Given how it is an extension of SOA, it will still retain many aspects of the original series.

Details suggest, though, that it will be nothing like Sons of Anarchy and Mayans M.C. Even its overall genre and tone will be significantly different. While this radical shift in the franchise's direction seems risky, it is hard not to look forward to Legends because it promises the return of Charlie Hunnam and other primary cast members from the parent show.

Sons Of Anarchy’s Upcoming Spin-Off Is Not Set In The Same World As SAMCRO & Mayans M.C.

Instead of being a traditional prequel or sequel "spin-off," Sons of Anarchy's upcoming franchise extension, Legends, is a meta-thriller. Instead of marking the return of the show's main characters, like Jax, Juice, Tig, Otto, and Opie, the new series will have the show's real-world actors play fictional versions of themselves.

Charlie Hunnam, Ron Perlman, Katey Sagal, Maggie Siff, Tommy Flanagan, Kim Coates, Theo Rossi, and Mark Boone Junior are all set to return to the upcoming spin-off. However, they will strangely play themselves instead of reprising their SOA roles.

As the show's plot details reveal, it will begin with Sons of Anarchy's cast reuniting at a fan convention. This is when they will face a real-world threat, which will force them to confront everything from the violence to the rivalries from the original show.

Sons of Anarchy's offbeat spin-off approach almost seems reminiscent of movies like This Is The End and Galaxy Quest. It is undoubtedly intriguing, but it is also a risky step forward for the franchise. Almost throughout its runtime, Kurt Sutter's Sons of Anarchy took itself quite seriously. Legends, in contrast, almost seems to be parodying the original series, albeit with a lot of self-awareness.

Image via MovieStillsDB

Kurt Sutter had previously envisioned a Sons of Anarchy prequel, titled First 9, that would focus on the SAMCRO's original founders. It was meant to be a limited series with Jax Teller's father, John, and Piney Winston as leads. The show would have walked through how the two figures returned home from the Vietnam War before starting the iconic motorcycle club.

Unfortunately, due to behind-the-scenes disputes, the project was ultimately shelved.

It is hard not to deny that, on paper, First 9 sounds a lot more fascinating than the upcoming spin-off, Legends. At the same time, though, Legends, too, seems to have immense potential, given how Charlie Hunnam himself has written the upcoming spin-off.

While one cannot stop hoping that First 9 will eventually be reconsidered and see the light of day, the upcoming Sons of Anarchy deserves some hype despite having nothing to do with the franchise's original universe.

Sons of Anarchy

8/10

Sons of Anarchy is centered around the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original (SAMCRO), exploring the tensions between President Clay and Vice President Jax in the town of Charming. The narrative focuses on their differing visions for the club's operations, blending legal and illegal enterprises.