X-Men 97has hit Disney+ and quickly become one of the most talked about animated shows of the last several years. However, what makes this show unique is that it is not a new X-Men show set in modern times. Instead, this show is a revival of the X-Men animated series that ran for five seasons between 1992 and 1997. The mutant team is still together, and the iconic theme song is still just as awesome. The only difference is that this show is now streaming to a new generation of superhero fans.
WithX-Men 97having such a high level of success, it begs the question: what other animated shows deserve another shot? There have been plenty of animated shows in the past that ended before their time, or are so beloved that modern audiences would like to see a revival.
DC’s Teen Titans have never beenthe most popular team. George Perez did have a great comic run with these characters in the ’80s, but the team never reached the same height as X-Men or the Justice League. However, this youthful group of young teens were the perfect protagonists for an animated show.
The firstTeens Titansanimated series ran for five seasons and had a few spin-off TV movies in the early 2000s. The series started out as a fun show depicting some of the younger heroes in the DC universe as they learned to work together to save the world. Teen Titans even went for a darker tone in its fourth season. Sadly, the show was canceled shortly after, as many producers believed this dark tone was why the ratings fell. However, a darker revival would perfectly suit the adults who grew up with the series.
5Silver Surfer
A One-Season Wonder
There are many Marvel fans who didn’t know that this show even existed until it was added to the library of content on Disney+.The Silver Surferanimated show only ran for one season, but it depicted the colorful and cosmic side of the Marvel universe that many fans were not familiar with at the time. Taking a lot of inspiration from Jack Kirby’s original designs, this show is animated beautifully and is responsible for introducing many Marvel fans to some more obscure (at the time) characters like Galactus, Thanos, and Beta Rey Bill.
Silver Surferwas sadly canceled due to some of the financial difficulty the studio was experiencing at the time. However, Marvel is now one of the most successful studios on the planet. Plus, with an upcomingFantastic Fourmovie coming, it may be the perfect time to revive this old show.
4Green Lantern: The Animated Series
A Rare 3D Gem
Green Lantern is one of the longest-lasting members of the Justice League. Unfortunately, there were still a lot of young fans who were unaware of the character before 2011. That is a shame, given that this intergalactic space cop hada lot of interesting stories to tell. That is why Cartoon Network decided to back a 3D animated show based on the character, and the show was well liked as itexplored the lantern corpsin the cosmos and had a likable set of main characters.
Sadly, the arrival of theGreen Lanternmovie removed any good will this character had going, as it was a critical and financial dud. As a result, Green Lantern: The Animated Serieswas swiftly canceled after two seasons. Now that the stench of the live action movie is long gone, it may be the perfect time to drum up support for a revival of this interesting show.
3Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes
Introducing Millions To Marvel’s Flagship Team
Marvel Studios was ready to expand their media empire after the success of the firstIron Manin 2008. That is why they decided to use the character in a property that would showcase all of their content. As a result, the studio createdAvengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, an animated show that saw Iron Man leading a team of Avengers as they faced obscure Marvel villains and teamed up with other popular Marvel characters, such as Spider-Man, Wolverine, and The Fantastic Four.
The show was a big hit, scoring 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and adapting many famous story arcs from the comic books. Unfortunately, the success of the firstAvengersmovie prompted Disney execs to cancel the show to create something more in line with the movies. Now that people are more on board with the Marvel universe — andits varied multiverse— maybe this show can be revived.
2Batman: The Animated Series
Changing The Game Of Superhero Animation
There have been few animated TV shows that have been as influential asBatman: The Animated Series. Released in the early ’90s to capitalize on the success of Tim Burton’s firstBatmanmovie, this series showed a more adult version ofthe caped crusader and his villainsas they tried to get by in Gotham City. The show was artistically impressive, as it was originally drawn using black paper, and had a stellar voice cast. The show did lead to an animated movie and a continuation in the form ofBatman: Beyond.
Sadly, no other animated show has quite made the same impression asBatman: The Animated Series, and the show is still picking up fans today. This series is ripe for a revival, seeing as Batman has not diminished in his relevancy over the years. The only thing standing in its way of coming back is trying to replace the late Kevin Conroy as the iconic voice of Batman.
1Spider-Man: The Animated Series
A Great Show That Ran Parallel To X-Men
X-Men: The Animated Seriesproved that there was a place on TV for animated versions of classic comic book characters, and so many other Marvel heroes also got a TV series set in this universe. One of these characters was Spider-Man, and his show depicted him crossing over with the X-Men of the ’90s on multiple occasions. Whenever he wasn’t hanging out with the X-Men, Spider-Man spent his timebattling iconic foes, and facing the everyday problems that his fans love him for.
With the success ofX-Men 97, many fans have been wondering why theSpider-Manshow from that era can’t also be revived. With Spider-man’s popularity only increasing since the character’s inception, the return of this version of the Web-Head can’t be too far away.
