Animation revivals are officially back. The recent success of "X-Men '97", "Phineas and Ferb", "Adventure Time: Fiona and Cake", and "The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball" has shown that audiences are eager to reconnect with the cartoons they grew up with. The streaming model enables these shows to reach a new group of young viewers and long-time fans who wish to revisit the characters they love. This opens the door for other cartoons that were either prematurely canceled or had more story potential. Here are 5 animated series we would love to see return!
"Gravity Falls"
After just two seasons, "Gravity Falls" concluded with an epic finale that pitted the Pines family against the all-powerful Bill Cipher. Creator Alex Hirsch has continued expanding the mythology through books, but fans have been clamoring for another animated adventure with Dipper and Mabel ever since the finale teased "See You Next Summer". There's still plenty of mystery left to explore, making "Gravity Falls" one of the strongest candidates for a revival.
"Ben 10"
The concept of "Ben 10" is remarkably clever and the universe has endless potential. While a reboot was attempted, the audience made it clear that they wanted to see Ben’s original story continued rather than redone. With countless aliens, villains, and future adventures left unexplored, a revival feels long overdue.
"Total Drama Island"
"Total Drama" has continued over the years, but nothing has matched the chemistry of the original cast. Since the series parodies reality television, bringing the original islanders back for another season would feel completely natural. The contestants being more experienced would lead to some fantastic alliances, betrayals, and rivalries. It would be amazing to see Chris McLean put the cast through more ridiculous challenges all these years later.
"The Spectacular Spider-Man"
Few canceled shows deserve another chance more than "The Spectacular Spider-Man". The series ended on a major cliffhanger just as it was building toward some of Spider-Man's biggest stories. Josh Keaton recently returned to voice his Spidey in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which has only renewed fan demand. As animation continues to appeal to older audiences, it would make perfect sense to return to this more mature interpretation of Spider-Man and resolve the lingering plot threads.
"Teen Titans" (2003)
Similarly to "Spectacular Spider-Man", "Teen Titans" was canceled and replaced by a show that was more appealing towards younger audiences. However, "Teen Titans" remains one of DC's most celebrated animated series despite never receiving a proper ending. The replacement, "Teen Titans Go!", has remained a staple of Cartoon Network’s programming but it constantly references their predecessor’s improper conclusion. With DC entering a new era under James Gunn’s DCU, this would be the perfect time to return to the beloved Titans.
With nostalgia at an all-time high and animation more popular than ever, now feels like the perfect moment for these iconic series to make a comeback.
