I was just wondering what everyone thought the likelihood that there will be an "expanded universe" of books after the main series is over. I can't imagine not having a WoT book to read and I hope that there will be side stories of the main and minor characters. It would also be neat to read a series about the Age of Legends or about Hawkwing. What does everyone else think?

Probably won't happen. Tor wants it to happen, but the Jordan estate (and Brandon) don't. Also, nobody else other than Brandon will ever be allowed to write in the WoT world.

In my opinion, that was the downfall of the Dune series.  I was especially disappointed when Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson thought it would be a great idea to write a thousand prequel stories before ever bothering to write the conclusion to the primary story.  It bothered me so much I have yet to bother picking it up to read.  It just felt too much like they turned the Dune universe into a cash cow and figured that fans would keep buying the prequel books just to satiate themselves while waiting for the final book(s).  Based on that... I'd be fine with just having ToM and aMoL.  However, just the fact that BS and the Jordan estate are only wanting to finish the main story will leave me much more open to the idea of prequels, outriggers, or even other stories set in the WoT universe if they change their minds later on.

There is a small possibility that Brandon eventually writes either the outrigger trilogy about Mat & Tuon, or the remaining two prequels.  These five are the only books that will even be considered. There will never under any circumstances be any stories about Hawkwing, AOL or any other thing.

 

 

Like mentioned earlier in this thread, these 5 were planned::

-prequel about how Tam found Rand

-prequel about how Moiraine & Lan arrived at Edmond's Field on time

-outrigger trilogy, about Mat/Tuon and Seanchan

 

Any other material beyond the main series would most likely be put into a newer guide.