The recent launch of Disney Plus has given fans access to a huge array of content from the Mouse House’s back catalogue, and despite the presence of the overwhelming majority of the studio’s animated classics and plenty of brand new content alongside heavy hitters like The Simpsons, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars and Pixar, one of the streaming service’s most popular titles has been a cult animated series that only ran for 78 episodes between 1994 and 1997.
Gargoyles is remembered fondly by fans as one of the best cartoons of the era, and thanks to Disney Plus, a whole new generation are set to discover the show. Following the titular characters as they became the nocturnal protectors of New York City after spending a thousand years encased in stone, the Shakespearean-inspired narratives and surprisingly complex themes have seen the series gain a second life as an enduring favorite.
In fact, almost as soon as Disney Plus launched, Gargoyles was already trending on social media, leading to creator Greg Weisman launching a Twitter campaign with the hopes of getting the opportunity to reboot the property. Well, it looks like Weisman may eventually get more than he bargained for, with sources close to We Got This Covered – the same ones who told us the studio was doing an Aladdin sequel, which has since been confirmed – informing us that while Disney aren’t yet entirely committed to the idea of a fully-fledged revival of the TV show, a live-action Gargoyles movie featuring the original cast is in the earliest stages of development. It’s unclear if any of the stars have actually been contacted yet, but from what we understand, the intention is to get at least most of them back if this goes ahead.
As you may’ve already heard, lead voice actor Keith David is just one of the names that’ve admitted to having an interest in returning to the well, and a quick glance at the voice cast of the series reveals a veritable who’s-who of veteran voice and character actors. Ed Asner, Frank Welker, John Rhys-Davies, Kate Mulgrew and Jonathan Frakes all played roles on Gargoyles, while the incredibly eclectic likes of James Belushi, Tim Curry and C.C.H. Pounder also popped up every now and again.
With Disney Plus set to develop a huge and diverse array of live-action content in order to boost subscriber numbers, a Gargoyles film seems like a no-brainer. The show already has a built-in fanbase that’s only going to grow larger, and the idea of doing a live-action version with performance-captured title characters along the lines of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Planet of the Apes franchises would put a fresh and interesting spin on the concept for fans both old and new.
