Disney’s Gargoyles may have only lasted for three seasons and 78 episodes between 1994 and 1997, but fans of a certain age remember it as one of the best animated shows of the era. The series centered on a group of the titular creatures that found themselves reanimated in present-day New York having spent a thousand years encased in stone, and followed their adventures as the Big Apple’s new nocturnal protectors.
Gargoyles has long been acclaimed as a show that was well ahead of its time, adopting a darker tone than most of its contemporaries and incorporating both complex story arcs and elements of Shakespearean melodrama. Fans have been clamoring for the short-lived series to be rebooted for a long time now, and actor Keith David, who voiced main character Goliath, seems just as eager to reprise the role.
“You know, those of us who were involved from the beginning… I’ve always wondered why they stopped it in the first place. We’ve wondered why we haven’t come back to reboot. I mean, I would love nothing more than to revisit Goliath. You know, he was absolutely one of my very, very, very, very favorite characters. I’ve always maintained that when I grow up, I want to be like Goliath.”
Any cult favorite with nostalgia value or name recognition seems to be getting the reboot treatment these days, so it seems strange that Gargoyles has yet to be afforded similar treatment. That isn’t for a lack of trying, though, with G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra writers David Elliot and Paul Lovett hired to pen the script back in 2011 before the project was quietly abandoned, while it was reported last year that Get Out and Us creator Jordan Peele was interested in developing a live-action reboot.
If Gargoyles is ever to return to our screens, then Disney Plus seems like the most logical option. The Mouse House have already dived deep into their past, present and future to announce a massive slate of upcoming projects, and will no doubt continue to cannibalize their back catalogue for new content. If we can’t get a live-action Gargoyles that takes advantage of the continued advances in mo-cap technology, then a brand-new animated series sounds like a decent enough compromise.