Is the Twisted Metal TV show canon?

A Twisted Metal TV show is on the way, based on the PlayStation game of the same name. Since we’ve never seen a Twisted Metal show before, is it canon?

Continuing the trend of video games getting TV show adaptations, Twisted Metal is the latest to hit the smaller screens. The show stars Anthony Mackie (8 Mile, Avengers) as lead John Doe, alongside Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and the voice of Will Arnett (Arrested Development).

The show, developed by Sony Pictures Television and PlayStation Productions, began filming in New Orleans from May to August 2022 and is set to air on July 27, 2023 and run for 10 episodes.

The show takes place in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where John Doe, a talkative milkman with amnesia, is given a mission to deliver a cryptic package in order to stay alive. Along the way, Doe encounters friend and foe alike, including dangerous marauders in destructive vehicles.

Is the Twisted Metal TV show canon?

While it hasn’t been confirmed whether or not the TV show is canon to the games, it’s unlikely. The series has had a loose plot at best and, to be fair, it didn’t really need one. That said, a character called John Doe does appear in the games  Twisted Metal: Black and Twisted Metal: Lost as the driver of Roadkill. He also has amnesia, like Anthony Mackie’s character in the show.

Whether or not the TV show will take some cues from Twisted Metal: Black remains to be seen. It could also be a slight retelling of the game’s events.

Twisted Metal will air on Peacock, on July 27, 2023.