Good things come to those who wait… and Critical Role fans have been waiting a long time! After two years of radio silence and tantalizing breadcrumbs, the intrepid heroes of Exandria’s Campaign 2 are finally stepping into the animated spotlight. This last week at San Diego Comic-Con 2025, The Mighty Nein made its long-awaited debut with a teaser trailer that sent waves of excitement through the Indigo Ballroom, marking a new chapter in Critical Role’s growing animated legacy.

Released exclusively during the Thursday afternoon panel, the teaser gives fans their first moving look at this misfit band of broken souls, cunning warriors, and unlikely heroes. You can watch the teaser now on YouTube, but be warned: it’s quick, chaotic, and absolutely drenched in that signature blend of heart and havoc that made Campaign 2 unforgettable.

From Vox Machina to the Nein

Spinning out from the success of The Legend of Vox Machina, which just wrapped its third season and has already been greenlit through Season 5, The Mighty Nein pivots to a darker, more introspective corner of Exandria. While Vox Machina delivered large-scale fantasy bombast with crude humor and sweeping battles, this new series promises something deeper. Still epic, still hilarious, but threaded with themes of redemption, identity, and trust.

Executive producers Sam Riegel and Travis Willingham kicked off the panel by revealing exclusive stills earlier this week through Entertainment Weekly, including a first look at everyone’s favorite enigmatic Dark Elf, Essek Thelyss (voiced, of course, by Matthew Mercer). But it was Thursday’s animated teaser that truly brought the house down, confirming that the full cast is back, and taking on very different roles from Campaign 1.

Meet the Nein

This is not your average adventuring party. At the center is Sam Riegel’s Nott the Brave, a goblin rogue with a drinking problem, a sharp tongue, and even sharper aim. Liam O’Brien steps into the smoldering mind of Caleb Widogast, a fire-wielding wizard with a haunted past and more than a few emotional scars.

Marisha Ray’s Beauregard Lionett brings both fists and fury as a Cobalt Soul monk who fights as hard as she questions authority. Laura Bailey’s Jester Lavorre returns as the quirky, chaos-powered cleric whose pastel mischief masks a deceptively strong moral compass. Travis Willingham trades axes for eldritch magic as Fjord Stone, the seafaring half-orc with secrets literally bubbling beneath the surface.

And then there’s Taliesin Jaffe’s Mollymauk Tealeaf, the fan-favorite Elf Wizard blood hunter and tarot-slinging con artist whose flamboyant exterior hides a tangle of mystery. Notably absent from the teaser is Ashley Johnson’s Yasha Nydoorin, the towering Xhorhasian barbarian, but fans know she’s never far from the action… or the heartbreak.

It’s a Whole New Exandria

During the SDCC panel, Riegel teased that The Mighty Nein will push the boundaries of what they built in Vox Machina, both narratively and visually. “We really had an opportunity to kick things up a notch in terms of character building, world building, and storytelling techniques,” he said. “It has echoes of Vox Machina, obviously because it’s based in the same world and made by the same people, but I think it’s going to scratch itches that Vox Machina doesn’t scratch.”

Fans were also treated to a new clip featuring the Volstrucker wreaking havoc in the Kryn Dynasty, a tantalizing taste of the political intrigue and emotional stakes the show is preparing to explore. Accompanying the reveals was new character art, updated designs for the Nein’s signature looks, and a jaw-dropping guest star list that reads like a fantasy fan’s dream cast.

Names confirmed include Mark Strong, Anika Noni Rose, Tim McGraw, Alan Cumming, Jonathan Frakes, Ming-Na Wen, Auli’i Cravalho, Rahul Kohli, and Robbie Daymond, just to name a few. It’s a staggering lineup that adds further gravitas to a series that already wears its narrative weight proudly.

Looking Ahead in Exandria

While The Legend of Vox Machina Season 4 is still in production, fans received confirmation that it’s expected to release between May and July 2026, with its fifth and final season already greenlit. For now, however, all eyes are on The Mighty Nein, which is officially set to debut November 19, 2025, exclusively on Prime Video.

With emotional depth, complex heroes, and just the right amount of arcane mayhem, The Mighty Nein looks ready to stand on its own, not just as a follow-up to Vox Machina, but as a major milestone in Critical Role’s animated multiverse.

The first three seasons of The Legend of Vox Machina are available to stream now on Prime Video. But come this fall, prepare to roll initiative on something new… and delightfully unhinged.