The series is a prequel to The Terminal List, focusing on Ben Edwards' journey from Navy SEAL to CIA operative, exploring the darker side of warfare and its human cost. It was created by Jack Carr, author of the original novel, alongside David DiGilio.

The prequel was first announced in development at Amazon Prime Video in early February 2023, with Taylor Kitsch already confirmed to reprise his role as Ben Edwards at that time.

The series was not officially titled The Terminal List: Dark Wolf until January 2024, when it was confirmed that Carr and DiGilio would co-create and executive-produce it, with DiGilio serving as showrunner.

Chris Pratt and Jared Shaw were confirmed in February 2023 to reprise their original series roles as James Reece and Ernest 'Boozer' Vickers respectively.

Tom Hopper was cast as a series regular in January 2024, followed by Luke Hemsworth joining in a recurring role the next month, and Dar Salim, Robert Wisdom, Shiraz Tzarfati, and Rona-Lee Shimon being added to the recurring cast in March 2024.

Principal photography began on March 13, 2024, with filming taking place on location in Budapest, Esztergom, and Szentendre, Hungary.

The series premiered on August 27, 2025, with the first three of its seven episodes released simultaneously, followed by weekly releases through September 24, 2025.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 75% approval rating from 16 critics with an average score of 6.4/10, with the critical consensus praising it as a gritty origin story that surpasses the original show.