Prime Video’s Newest Sci-Fi Reboot Is a Reminder of Its Worst Cancellation

After a poorly received reboot over a decade ago, Prime Video has decided to revive RoboCop with a new project. No, it’s not another feature film, but rather a long-form streaming series that will seemingly go beyond what the original movies explored. Some will no doubt be thrilled by this news, but for others it’s just another blow in the wake of the recently cancelled Stargate continuation that fans had been on the edge of their seats waiting for. If Prime Video wants to lean into the science fiction icons acquired when the company bought MGM, you’d think the highly successful television franchise would be front-and-center.

Amazon Is Rebooting ‘RoboCop’ Instead of Giving ‘Stargate’ Another Go

RoboCop is fun, sure. Anyone who has seen the original — or even the underrated 2014 reboot — can see the potential in another contemporary update to the story. But RoboCop isn’t an adventure that demands a series format. Frankly, the story is better told as a one-and-done tale, and previous sequels have made that abundantly clear (you’d be better off revisiting Starship Troopers). Once you’ve seen Alex Murphy turn into RoboCop, the most interesting thing about his predicament is his initial struggle to recycle his humanity with his new identity as a cyborg. Trying to uncover who he once was is what makes RoboCop compelling as a character — and while certain sequels like RoboCop 2 have their moments, there’s a reason most consider them a step-down from the original.

Stargate, on the other hand, is a franchise completely devoted to endless space exploration. The previous three series were quite novel in their ability to expand on ideas established in the original film, whether engaging with new worlds in our galaxy, the neighboring Pegasus Galaxy, or those out among the uncharted stars. Not only did they keep the adventures going, but they did so in a way that allowed for new characters and worlds to be added along the way, something RoboCop simply can’t do. What makes Stargate work — and why it expanded beyond Stargate SG-1 with Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe — is that it doesn’t rely on a single character but rather a strong concept. Without Alex Murphy, there would be no RoboCop. For Stargate, all you need is, well, a gate to another world!

‘Stargate’ Deserves Another Shot on Television After All These Years

Before this RoboCop announcement, a new Stargate series had been in active development. Prime Video was seemingly happy with the direction the series was going under writer Martin Gero, who had previously worked on other franchise installments — that is, until Amazon suddenly axed the proposed series, much to the dismay of longtime fans who were excited to see it return in some form or another. From all we know about the potential new installment, it would have honored the franchise’s past, continued with Stargate Command’s main mission, and offered newcomers an easy entry point.

For many, this was an unforgivable mistake on Amazon’s part, made even worse by the company’s reported plans to reboot Stargate from the ground up. In fact, the reason cited for canceling the Stargate reboot (and now pivoting to RoboCop) is the apparent lack of broad appeal beyond the pre-existing fanbase. As usual, Amazon aims to chase after a so-called modern audience, but that approach has only led to further disappointment so far. Sure, the RoboCop show could be good, and we’ll certainly give it a shot, but a genuine Stargate continuation that honors the material that’s come before while paving its own path forward would’ve been better.