The casting of Jeff Hays as Princess Donut is the only correct decision the Peacock adaptation has made so far, and I am frankly impressed they managed to get that one right before someone suggested a CGI cat voiced by a celebrity. According to the updates tracked through late 2026, the show has secured two showrunners in Chris Yost and Eric Heisserer, who you may recall from his work on *Arrival* and Netflix's *Shadow and Bone*, which, coincidentally, is the subject of a related update you should read: A Crawler's Guide to LitRPG: Geek Flags and Dungeon Crawls. The plan is to start filming in 2027, with "soft prep" and hiring underway, including line producers, production designers, directors, and the terrifying word "casting." Matt Dinniman has stated that Carl has not been cast yet, and he wants someone who can be "both goofy and give off that really, really scary vibe." That is the entire challenge of the character in one sentence, and I hope whoever takes the role understands that bare feet are non-negotiable.
Here is the practical reality for every crawler reading this: the timer on this collapse is still running, and we have no confirmed start date. The show has been ordered to series at Peacock, which is a genuine achievement, the kind that usually comes with a Bronze Patience Box and a note that says "congratulations, you survived the development hell floor." But casting is the bottleneck. Jeff Hays voicing Donut is a masterstroke that sets a high bar for every other performance, and the showrunners have assured fans that neither of them owns cocker spaniels, which is the kind of specific denial that suggests someone on the writing staff has read the books. For those who want a deeper look at the tone this show needs to capture, I recommend the related piece on A DC Show Crawlers Should Watch Before the Collapse, which covers the kind of grounded chaos the adaptation will need to replicate.
The open question that should keep every fan awake at night is not who plays Carl, though that is obviously critical, but whether the showrunners understand that the dungeon itself is a character. Eric Heisserer's involvement, detailed in Dungeon Crawler Carl Show Adds Shadow and Bone Creator as Co-Showrunner, suggests a writer who can handle complex world-building, but the dungeon requires a specific kind of malevolent personality that cannot be faked with mood lighting and a good score. The show needs to feel like the floor is actively trying to kill everyone, and the AI running it is enjoying the process. If they get that wrong, no amount of perfect casting will save them. The specific detail to watch is whether the next update includes a director with experience in practical effects and creature design, because Mongo is going to be very expensive and very difficult to get right, and he is already appalled.
Source: multiple outlets, "Dungeon Crawler Carl TV Show Updates Tracked for the Crawlers," late 2026. Status: Confirmed