Entertainment is an interesting thing. Some movies hit, becoming significant successes that in turn, gives their whole franchise life, thrilling audiences for years to come. Others, however, don’t get so lucky. Sometimes, despite having beloved characters and stories, things just don’t take off as quickly as they should and it means the end of the road. That was the case for The Rocketeer 35 years ago, when the now-cult classic film underperformed at the box office and led to Disney giving up on the franchise but now the daring Cliff Secord is back with an all-new release.
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Headed to comic shops in July, The Rocketeer: Infiltrator #1 is the most daring The Rocketeer story yet. The story will see Cliff, aka the Rocketeer, go deep undercover along with his girlfriend Betty as they attempt to discover and destroy a Nazi super weapon that is threatening the Allied forces during World War II. The problem? Well, for starters neither Cliff nor Betty are experienced in deep cover work, so they have a handler in the way of a debonair MI6 agent, and he is actually a bit of a problem, too, as he’s handsome and has a thing for beautiful women. With Cliff posing a Betty’s brother and manager, our hero is going to have a lot to deal with. The book goes on sale July 8th—and you can check out our exclusive preview here.
The Rocketeer Is Making a Comics Comeback (And The Movies Need to Take Note)
This new Rocketeer book not only sounds like a genuinely interesting adventure that longtime fans, but it’s also part of a larger renaissance for the iconic hero. Another The Rocketeer book, The Rocketeer: The Island, is currently out as well. That book is based on an outline from the Rocketeer’s creator, the late Dan Stevens, and sees our hero head out on a mission to save Amelia Earhart only to ed up on a strange island with very strange threats. That series is proving to be popular with fans, with sales of issues #4 going way up from issue #3. If The Rocketeer: Infiltrator turns out to be as popular, it will be a clear sign that fans are still into the daring hero—and Hollywood should take note.
Disney released The Rocketeer back in 1991 and, at the time, had big plans for the hero and franchise. There were plans for sequels, huge toy lines, and more. However, the movie didn’t do well at the box office despite some critical accolades and enthusiastic fans, and Disney pulled the plug on those plans. There have been calls for a sequel ever since, and while there was a Disney Junior series centered around Cliff’s great-granddaughter in 2019, it was cancelled after just one season, potentially a victim of timing. Now, however, with nostalgia one of the hottest “themes” in entertainment as well as the established success of these new comics, it might be time for Hollywood to give the Rocketeer another chance to fly.
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