Disney has had no shortage of major hits over the years, especially in the realm of animation, though sometimes the studio did manage to surprise fans with a few darker elements mixed in. Projects like Fantasia, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, and The Black Cauldron all featured darker elements than other Disney classics, but there was one Saturday Morning Cartoon that took the award for Disney’s darkest series, and it ended its run 29 years ago today.
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On February 15, 1997, Disney’s beloved Gargoyles cartoon aired its final episode. Titled Angels in the Night, the 78th episode of the series sees Xanatos actually help Goliath and the Manhattan Clan survive a trap by John Castaway and the Quarrymen, and not only do they survive, but thanks to exposing the true motives of the Quarrymen, the Gargoyles end up finally being looked at as the heroes they are, and are fully accepted by the city. It was a relatively happy ending for the team, but the series itself was still cut off far too early.
Gargoyles Made A Major Impact Despite Early Cancellation
It’s important to note that when Gargoyles ended, it was going by the name of Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles. That’s because, despite the relative success of the first two seasons, Disney cancelled the series after it didn’t meet some internal expectations. It was then picked up by ABC and revamped with a new set of writers, animators, and even a new name.
Unfortunately, the series would come to a close once again after just 13 episodes, and overall, the reception to the third season wasn’t as strong as in the previous 2 due to all the changes. Only 1 of the 13 episodes is considered canon by series creator Greg Weisman, and that is the season premiere, The Journey, which Weisman wrote.
While it’s unfortunate that Gargoyles was cut short for what amounts to roughly 2 and a half seasons of content, it hasn’t affected the impact the show made in its original form and over the years since its ending. Gargoyles is still beloved to this day and has found a new generation of fans thanks to its availability on Disney+. Fans of the original have also consistently propped up the series when it hits other media, including NECA’s excellent Gargoyles toyline and the popular and expansive Gargoyles comics line.
Gargoyles Deserves A Modern Reboot (And One Might Be On The Way)
If there’s a property under Disney’s umbrella that is ready for a modern reboot, it’s unquestionably Gargoyles. Like Batman: The Animated Series, the show has aged extremely well, and its more adult-oriented storytelling and darker elements would be a perfect fit for the current animation-dominant era we’re currently in the midst of.
Adult animation continues to thrive in 2026, both in film and in television, and nostalgia also consistently rules the day. Disney has also had immense success in bringing back X-Men ’97, and in many ways, the two shows share the same DNA as far as heavier topics, big action, and more mature storytelling. If X-Men can thrive, Gargoyles absolutely has a shot at reaching an entirely new audience with a reboot.
The good news is this is actually already in the works, though it’s been some time since we’ve received an update on the promising project, and it’s not in animation. It was reported in 2023 that Disney was working on a Gargoyles live-action reboot for Disney+, but it wasn’t until 2025 that we received any sort of update. The new update was positive though, as writer, executive producer, and showrunner of the live-action Gargoyles, Gary Dauberman, revealed that they were still in active development on the project.
Dauberman said, “I feel like we have the animated series already. The cartoon is so good, it’s so good. That’s what we fell in love with. I think it lends itself to a really cool live-action version.”
Dauberman said bringing Gargoyles to live-action “will be challenging, but also said they are “talking to some great people. We are still keeping that darkness to it. I’m excited to see the animated [series] come to life.” Fingers crossed we get to see the Gargoyles make their way to live-action sooner rather than later.
You can stream Gargoyles on Disney+.
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Image courtesy of Tor Books/Macmillan -
Official art by Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme
