As a longtime fan who was deeply disappointed by the 2017 The Dark Tower movie, I'm incredibly excited about Mike Flanagan's upcoming series adaptation. That film, starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, felt like a hollow echo of Stephen King's epic saga. It condensed a sprawling multiverse into a brief, confusing 95 minutes and, most egregiously, left out nearly all the characters that give the books their heart, soul, and complexity. Seriously, where was everyone? The movie gave us Roland, Jake, and the Man in Black, but that's like trying to tell the story of The Lord of the Rings with just Frodo, Sam, and a brief glimpse of Sauron's eye. The soul of the story—Roland's ka-tet, his tragic past, and the bizarre wonders of Mid-World—was completely absent. For Flanagan's series to succeed where the movie failed, it absolutely must bring these missing pillars of the narrative to life. Let's talk about who we need to see.

🎯 The Heart of the Ka-Tet: Eddie & Susannah Dean

First and foremost, the series is nothing without the full ka-tet. The movie's portrayal of a lone, brooding Roland completely missed the point. His journey is about connection, redemption, and found family.

Eddie Dean is the character who brings humor and humanity to Roland's grim world. When we first meet him in The Drawing of the Three, he's a wise-cracking heroin addict from 1980s New York, smuggling drugs on a plane. Roland literally draws him into Mid-World, and their dynamic is pure gold. Watching Eddie evolve from a scared, addicted kid into a confident, skilled gunslinger is one of the most rewarding arcs in the series. His jokes and constant chatter constantly grate on Roland's stoic nature, but their bond becomes unbreakable. He's not just a sidekick; he's Roland's brother-in-arms. Any adaptation that skips Eddie is skipping the story's emotional core.

Then there's Susannah Dean, who is just as crucial. Drawn from 1960s New York, she is a character of immense depth and complexity. Initially, she manifests as two distinct personalities: Odetta Holmes, a civil rights activist, and Detta Walker, a violent and hateful counterpart. Their integration into the singular Susannah is a powerful narrative of healing and identity. She becomes a formidable gunslinger in her own right, mastering Roland's teachings despite having lost her legs. Her love story with Eddie is beautiful, raw, and central to the series' emotional weight. She's the group's moral compass and its fiercest protector. A faithful adaptation must handle her dissociative identity with the care and respect it deserves, ensuring it's portrayed accurately and sensitively for a 2026 audience.

🐾 The Furry Guardian: Oy

No discussion of the ka-tet is complete without its smallest, most loyal member.

Oy, the billy-bumbler (or throcken), is so much more than a cute mascot. This intelligent, dog-like creature with a raccoon's face becomes Jake's best friend and a full member of the group. His simple speech ("Oy! Eld! Thankee!") belies a fierce bravery and keen perception. He saves the ka-tet on multiple occasions and provides some of the series' most heartwarming—and ultimately, heart-wrenching—moments. The movie's failure to include Jake's bond with Oy left a huge emotional hole in Jake's character development. In the series, Oy will be essential for showcasing the found-family aspect and the strange, wonderful fauna of Mid-World.

👑 The Shadow Over All: The Crimson King & Other Key Figures

The 2017 movie hinted at a larger evil with phrases like "All Hail the Crimson King," but we never saw him. That has to change.

The Crimson King is the ultimate antagonist, the insane, red-tinged entity whose goal is to topple the Dark Tower itself and unravel all of reality. While his direct appearances are few, his presence should loom over the entire series. His servants—the Man in Black, the low men, the vampires—do his bidding. Flanagan's series needs to establish him as the overarching threat early on, making it clear that every obstacle Roland faces is part of the Crimson King's grand, destructive design.

To understand Roland's obsession and coldness, we must see his past. Susan Delgado was his first and only true love. Her tragic story, told in Wizard and Glass, is the key to Roland's heart. It's a tale of young love, betrayal, and a horrifying death that forever hardens him. Flashbacks to Susan and a young Roland are non-negotiable for explaining why the Gunslinger is the way he is.

Similarly, we need Cort, Roland's brutal childhood instructor. Played by a formidable actor, Cort's flashbacks will show us the harsh, demanding training that forged gunslingers. His lessons—where failure meant a beating—directly inform how Roland later trains Eddie, Susannah, and Jake. He is the embodiment of the old, merciless ways of Gilead.

🤯 The Meta and the Marvelous: Stephen King & Blaine the Mono

One of the most audacious aspects of the books is that Stephen King writes himself into the story. In the novels, the Crimson King tries to kill the "author" to prevent the story from being finished. This leads to a major character sacrificing themselves to save King from a deadly accident (mirroring King's real-life 1999 van crash). For the series to be complete, this meta-narrative must be included. The most satisfying approach? Have the real Stephen King play himself. With modern de-aging technology, portraying the 1999 timeline is entirely feasible. It would be a brilliant, authentic touch for Flanagan, who has a great relationship with King.

And then there are the uniquely Dark Tower creations that define its tone. Blaine the Mono is a sentient, psychotic monorail that challenges the ka-tet to a riddling contest for their lives. It's a perfect blend of horror, dark comedy, and suspense. Visually, Blaine could be terrifying and awe-inspiring—a screaming, high-tech relic of the Old Ones. This sequence is a ready-made, unforgettable season finale cliffhanger.

🎺 The Fallen Friend: Cuthbert Allgood

Finally, we have Cuthbert Allgood. He was Roland's best friend from childhood—a jovial, joke-loving gunslinger who was everything the serious Roland was not.

His death at the Battle of Jericho Hill is a wound Roland carries forever. Crucially, Cuthbert died blowing the Horn of Eld, an artifact Roland abandoned in his haste. The book series' ending hints at a cycle where Roland might have a chance at redemption if he carries the Horn. To make that ending land with emotional power, the series must make us love and mourn Cuthbert through flashbacks. His friendship shows us what Roland lost, making his quest even more tragic.

Why This All Matters for 2026

The 2017 movie tried to fit an epic into a tiny box and failed. Television in 2026, especially under a visionary like Mike Flanagan, is the perfect medium for this story. We have the time for:

• Deep character development for Eddie, Susannah, and Jake.

• Expansive world-building across the weird landscapes of Mid-World and other levels of the Tower.

• Faithful adaptation of complex plotlines and themes.

The missing characters aren't just a checklist; they are the essence of the story. They provide:

Character	What They Bring	Why the Movie Suffered Without Them
Eddie & Susannah	Heart, humor, love, and growth.	Felt emotionally barren; Roland had no true companions.
Oy	Unconditional loyalty and emotional resonance.	Jake's storyline felt incomplete and less touching.
The Crimson King	An overarching, existential threat.	The villainy felt small-scale and unmotivated.
Susan & Cuthbert	The tragic weight of Roland's past.	Roland was a generic hero without depth or tragic cause.
Blaine	The series' unique blend of genre madness.	Missed the chance for iconic, mind-bending sequences.

In conclusion, as a fan, my message to the adaptation is simple: Don't be afraid of the source material. Embrace the weirdness, the heartbreak, the humor, and the sprawling cast. Give us the full ka-tet, let us feel the loss of Susan and Cuthbert, make us dread the Crimson King, and make us jump at the scream of Blaine the Mono. If Mike Flanagan's series includes these ten missing characters—and the rich stories they carry—it has the potential to be the definitive, glorious adaptation of Stephen King's magnum opus that we've all been waiting for. Long days and pleasant nights, and may the series remember the faces of its fathers.