One of the best things about Disney+ is that it’s brought the iconic animated show Gargoyles back into homes across the world. Gargoyles was revolutionary when it reigned in the 90s, with complex characters, a rich world of mythology, and a developing serialized story that we hadn’t seen much in “kid’s” animated shows before this. And it deserves a sequel animated series.
The first and second season of Gargoyles were excellent, but due to changes at Disney and loss of audience due to coverage of the OJ Simpson trial preempting the show’s airing, plus the blockbuster arrival of Power Rangers, season three of the series was made by a completely different creative team, much to the disappointment of fans and series creator Greg Weisman. And even that series didn’t really resolve many of the plot points and characters introduced in seasons one and two.
For so many fans, myself included, Gargoyles represents something truly incredible that was sadly left unfinished. It’s like a beautiful cathedral that was never completed, and that’s sad because the first two seasons were so good. But Greg Weisman is still up for returning to the world of Gargoyles and I just need to go on the record to say that Disney really needs to take him up on that offer. I want to know what happens next, and no, the terrible third season doesn’t count. I want more from Puck, and I want to see Demona come around, and I want to see Goliath and Elisa finally be a couple somehow and I just … want more Gargoyles. And we almost had that.
Speaking to Polygon last year, Weisman shared that before Disney bought Marvel, the company, or at least then-CEO Michael Eisner, were actually looking at Gargoyles as a launchpad for an entire universe of action properties, which explains why there are so many episodes in season two that are basically backdoor pilots for other series. Weisman explained:
[Michael Eisner] turned to me and said, “Could we use Gargoyles as the launching pad for a Disney action universe?” And I said yes. So we began to develop all these spinoffs and backdoor pilots, like the New Olympians and the Pendragon episode, and others that we put into the second season.
I mourn that we didn’t get those or any of the many other spin-offs, sequels, or prequels Weisman has developed. This is such a rich world and it’s a crying shame we have never been able to return to it … but that doesn’t mean we can’t now. Disney+ is an ideal spot for a Gargoyles sequel and spin-offs, and I definitely think the audience is there. And I do mean a sequel and not a reboot.
I would prefer a direct sequel or continuation of the original story from the first two seasons, rather than a rebooted series, because those two seasons are still fantastic and stand the test of time. Weisman also felt the same way speaking in May of last year: “If I really had my first choice, I’d be like, ‘More than anything else, I just want to take Gargoyles and pick up where it left off, set in 1997, and do this period piece.'” And he’s right. That’s would be an incredible way to do this.
And Weisman is ready. “I’ve always wanted to do more. I’ve got a timeline for the show that’s 315 pages long. I’ve got notebooks and comp books full of ideas for it. Spinoff notions and all sorts of things. Literally nothing would make me happier than to go back and do more Gargoyles.” Nothing would make us happier too!
The story is unfinished and the original seasons (I’m ignoring “season three”) demand continuation. Honestly, these episodes all hold up the show’s strange mix of fantasy, futurism, noir, and found family shenanigans that work way better than they should, given the mashing of genres. But that creativity is what made Gargoyles great and with the right team and Weisman back at the helm, Disney could continue this story in similarly interesting ways.
Now, there has been talk of rebooting Gargoyles for years, and director Jordan Peele even expressed interest in making his own big-screen rebooted movie version a few years ago. In 2020 Weisman said he’d love to work on a live-action Gargoyles movie with Peele, but explained that the project might not be happening, per CBR:
“My understanding — not inside information, just my understanding — is that [Peele] expressed an interest in the property. And Disney didn’t say no,” continued Weisman. “But by not saying yes, that answers the question. You know, they didn’t want to say no to Jordan Peele, but they also didn’t want to say yes to Gargoyles. So it just didn’t go anywhere.”
We would love to see any and all versions of Gargoyles, and we hope that Disney will say a definitive “yes” one day to Peele’s live-action movie proposal. But I still think there remains real potential here for a straight-up animated streaming sequel, even if it’s a limited series or movie, to continue or complete this great story. The animation was dynamic and evocative, and it works so well with the blend of medieval and modern settings. I feel like this show was so influential for so many of us and is still so loved that now that it’s been rediscovered on Disney+, it’s truly time for the Gargoyles to return.
And after all, Goliath and his clan waited 1,000 years for their castle to rise above the clouds for their story to continue, waiting almost three decades for more Gargoyles seems like nothing in comparison.
(via: Polygon, image: Disney)
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