Twisted Metal (TV series)

Main

• Anthony Mackie as John Doe
• Stephanie Beatriz as Quiet
• Joe Seanoa and Will Arnett as Sweet Tooth. Seanoa performs the character, while Arnett provides his voice.
• Thomas Haden Church as Agent Stone (season 1)
• Anthony Carrigan as Calypso (season 2)

Recurring

• Richard Cabral as Loud (season 1)
• Mike Mitchell as Stu (seasons 1–2)[1]
• Tahj Vaughans as Mike (seasons 1–2)
• Chelle Ramos as Jamie Roberts (season 1)
• Michael Carollo as Carl Roberts (season 1)
• Tiana Okoye as Dollface (season 2)
• Patty Guggenheim as Raven (season 2)
• Saylor Bell Curda as Mayhem (season 2)
• Richard de Klerk as Mr. Grimm (season 2)
• Michael James Shaw as Axel (season 2)
• Lisa Gilroy as Vermin (season 2)
• Johnno Wilson as Dave (season 2)
• Katherine East as Frostbite (season 2)

Guest

• Lou Beatty Jr. as Tommy (season 1)
• Jared Bankens as Shepard (season 1)
• Neve Campbell as Raven (season 1)
• Jamie Neumann as Miranda Watts (season 1)
• Diany Rodriguez as Amber (season 1)
• Peg O'Keef as Granny Dread (season 1)
• Chloe Fineman as Bloody Mary (season 1)
• Wanetah Walmsley as Amy (season 1)
• Jason Mantzoukas as Preacher (season 1)
• Eden Lee as Diane (season 1)
• Clare McConnell as Dana (season 2)
• Nikki Duval as Ashley (season 2)
• Dan Beirne as Jeremy (season 2)
• Lily Gao as Jessica (season 2)
• Jon Daly as Emperor (season 2)
• André Dae Kim as Chuckie Floop (season 2)
• Tyler Johnston as Deacon (season 2)
• Jimmi Simpson as the voice of Quatro (season 2)
• Devon Sawa as Harold (season 2)

Season 1 (2023)

Season 2 (2025)

Development

In May 2019, during an investor relations presentation, Sony Pictures Television confirmed that it was developing a television series based on the video game series Twisted Metal.[2] By February 2021, the series was announced, with Will Arnett, Rhett Reese, Michael Jonathan Smith, and Paul Wernick on board to executive-produce. Smith serves as showrunner and wrote the story based on an original take by Reese and Wernick.[3] In February 2022, the half-hour action-comedy was greenlit by Peacock.[4] The following month, Kitao Sakurai joined as an executive producer in addition to directing multiple episodes.[5]

In December 2023, Peacock renewed the series for a second season.[6] In November 2025, the show was renewed for a third season, with David Reed replacing Michael Jonathan Smith as showrunner.[7]

Casting

In September 2021, Anthony Mackie served as one of the executive producers and was the first to be cast, as John Doe.[8] In May 2022, Stephanie Beatriz and Thomas Haden Church were cast in starring roles as Quiet and Agent Stone, respectively.[9][10] Neve Campbell was cast in a recurring role as Raven.[11]

In June, Will Arnett joined the cast, voicing Sweet Tooth.[12] Pro-wrestler Samoa Joe physically portrays Sweet Tooth.[13]

Richard Cabral was cast as Beatriz's overprotective brother, Loud.[14] Tahj Vaughans and Mike Mitchell portray best friends Mike and Stu. Lou Beatty Jr. plays Tommy.[15]

For the second season, Anthony Carrigan joined the main cast as Calypso, while Richard de Klerk, Patty Guggenheim, and Tiana Okoye have recurring guest roles as Mr. Grimm, Raven, and Dollface, respectively.[16] In August 2024, Saylor Bell Curda, Michael James Shaw, and Lisa Gilroy joined the cast in recurring roles as Mayhem, Axel, and Vermin, respectively, for the second season.[17]

Filming

The first season began principal photography in May 2022 in New Orleans and wrapped that August.[18][19] It had an estimated budget (before tax incentives) of $45 million.[20] Shooting in New Orleans in the summer came with some challenges. Michael Jonathan Smith told NOLA.com in an interview, "We dealt with lightning delays, hurricane threats, extreme heat and cars that wouldn't do as they were told".[21]

Production for the second season moved to Ontario, Canada. Filming began on July 17 and was originally scheduled to end on November 19, 2024,[22] but instead wrapped early, on October 30.[23] Shooting took place at Cambridge City Hall, which was turned into the city hall for "New San Francisco".[24] In early September, scenes were shot at a former bakery across from the closed Delta Secondary School in Hamilton.[25]

Music

The score was composed by Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson, for which they drew heavily from 2000s nu-metal.[26] Numerous 1990s and 2000s songs from various genres are also featured in the episodes.[27][28]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 67% of 49 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "An enjoyable blast of cartoonishly violent mayhem, Twisted Metal sometimes struggles to flesh out its source material, but ultimately offers an adaptation with surprising depth."[37] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the first season a score of 55 out of 100, based on 22 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[38]

Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter gave the first season a positive review, saying, "It's a bit odd for any series to spend a season opening up its world only to set up a seemingly less expansive (if more expensive) second season, but fans will probably be happy. Generally, Twisted Metal is fast and fun and definitely won't be in the running for any Emmys, much less 24. And that's OK!"[39] Variety Alison Herman gave it a negative review: "The story of Twisted Metal is thin and packed with tropes; it's still an undertaking to get there from no story at all. The rest of the industry should ask whether that effort was worth it before the next wave of game TV starts to break".[40]

Daniel Kurland of Bloody Disgusting gave the series a two-and-half out of five rating. He wrote, "Twisted Metal is dumb fun that's big, broad, and unabashedly bloody. It's nowhere near the level of The Last of Us or even SyFy's Blood Drive, but it's campy escapism that doesn't ask much of its audience".[41]

The second season has a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 25 critic reviews. The website's critics' consensus states: "Putting the pedal to Twisted Metal, this second season gains momentum as it revs up the race and raises the stakes."[42] On Metacritic, the second season has a score of 74 out of 100, based on six reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[43]

Viewership

After two weeks, the series became Peacock's "most-binged" comedy premiere to date. According to Nielsen data, it was one of the most-watched streaming originals, with 400 million viewing minutes in the weekend following its premiere.[44]

Awards and nominations