Top 10 Cartoon Shows that Have the Greatest Potential for a Reboot

Reboots can be a tricky thing. When done right, they bring a fresh take on a classic show, keeping the core elements that made it special while updating the storytelling, animation, or themes for a new generation. But a reboot that lacks direction or relies too heavily on nostalgia without adding anything meaningful? That's just disappointing.

If a cartoon is going to be brought back today, it needs to be more than just a collection of fun episodes. A well-crafted reboot should have a clear, well-paced story with real stakes. The characters should feel like they've grown and changed over time, rather than staying in the same place season after season. A strong reboot doesn't just repeat what came before. It builds on it, creating a bigger, richer world that pays off by the time the final episode airs.

Of course, not every cartoon is suited for this kind of treatment. Some shows are best left as they are, while others have the potential to come back stronger than ever.

So, which cartoons deserve a second chance? Which ones have the right mix of world-building, memorable characters, and unfinished business that could be expanded into something even better today?

The Top Ten

Amphibia

Amphibia is an American animated television series created by Matt Braly. It originally aired on Disney Channel from June 17, 2019, to May 14, 2022. The show follows a young girl named Anne Boonchuy who is magically transported to a fantastical world inhabited by anthropomorphic amphibians.
Darkwing Duck

Darkwing Duck is an American animated action-adventure comedy television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. It originally aired from 1991 to 1992 on both the syndicated block The Disney Afternoon and ABC Saturday mornings. The show followed the adventures of the titular superhero, Darkwing... read more

The DuckTales 2017 series set up a perfect pilot episode for Darkwing Duck with season 3, episode 12, "Let's Get Dangerous!"
Last I heard, Disney is actually rebooting this show, so I hope to see it in the near future. What I really want to see in the show is the father-daughter relationship between Darkwing Duck and Gosalyn take shape.
I'm also very interested in the character Morgana, who was in the original series. I want to see her journey from villain to hero as well as her romantic relationship with Darkwing Duck, plus a mother-daughter relationship between her and Gosalyn.
Gargoyles

Gargoyles is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and Buena Vista Television. It originally aired from October 24, 1994, to February 15, 1997. The series centers on a species of ancient, nocturnal creatures called gargoyles that turn to stone during the... read more
Adventures of the Gummi Bears

It would be great to see a remake of The Gummi Bears similar to how Disney remade DuckTales, with a thoughtful storyline and character growth.
A character I would add to the show that would make an enormous difference would be for the villain Duke Sigmund Igthorn to have a daughter named Olivia. Even though he's the villain, he truly loves his daughter. I envision Olivia as being very sarcastic and cynical, but she loves her father and has a fondness for the ogres. The ogres, in turn, are quite protective of her.
In fact, the first time they met was shortly after her father was banished from Dunwyn. The ogres saved Olivia's life, at which point Duke Igthorn used the opportunity to seize control of Castle Drekmore and the ogres.
Before the banishment, Olivia and Princess Calla were as close as sisters, but now there's a great rivalry between them.
Inspector Gadget

I would combine certain elements from both shows: the 1983 and 2015 versions, to make a really good show. From 1983, I liked how Penny and Brain were in the background, really solving the cases and protecting Gadget. Talon, Dr. Claw's nephew, was a great character from the 2015 show.
You could do a lot with Talon and Penny. I could see the show starting off like the original, with Penny and Brain helping Gadget from the shadows, but Talon starts to get wise to what Penny's up to and develops admiration and feelings for her. Through that, I see a redemption story for Talon.
Mummies Alive!

Mummies Alive! is an American animated television series produced by DIC Entertainment. It originally aired for one season in 1997. The show features four ancient mummies who are resurrected in modern times to protect a boy who is the reincarnation of Prince Rapses from an evil sorcerer.

I think this could be an exciting reboot because the show deals with the supernatural and time traveling. The show is about a modern-day teenage boy named Presley, who is the reincarnation of the Pharaoh's son, Prince Rapses. He is hunted by the ancient evil sorcerer Scarab, who wants to retrieve the spirit of the prince to become immortal. The mummies awaken as powerful guardians to protect Presley from Scarab.
A character I would add to the show is a little sister for Presley. She is the only one who knows about Presley and his mummy guardians. A twist I would introduce later in the show is that Presley's sister is the reincarnation of Scarab's daughter, creating an incredible predicament between Scarab, Presley, and his sister.
Danny Phantom

Danny Phantom is an American animated series created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon. It was produced by Billionfold Studios and distributed in Canada by Nelvana, a Canadian animation company.
The series follows a teenage boy who becomes a human-ghost hybrid after an accident involving a malfunctioning... read more

The first two seasons of Danny Phantom were great and had such potential for future episodes and seasons, but the show, in my opinion, fell short in its third season.
It would have been exciting to see Vlad Masters / Vlad Plasmius get a redemption story, Dani Phantom become a regular character on the show, and most of all, a return of Dark Danny from "The Ultimate Enemy" episodes.
Earthworm Jim: The Animated Series
Recess

Recess is an American animated television series created by Paul Germain and Joe Ansolabehere. It was produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and originally aired from 1997 to 2001. The animation work was handled by several international studios, including Grimsaem, Plus One Animation, Sunwoo Animation... read more

I think it would be interesting if the Recess gang started the series in an earlier grade and with each passing season, they grow up a year and therefore go up a grade. That way, with each season, you can see the growth of the characters and the society of each grade.
Or a live-action TV series.
TaleSpin

TaleSpin is an American animated television series that debuted in 1990. It is set in the fictional city of Cape Suzette and features characters adapted from Disney's 1967 animated film The Jungle Book.
The show premiered as a preview on The Disney Channel before becoming part of The Disney Afternoon... read more

The Newcomers

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Hero Elementary
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Wild Kratts

Wild Kratts is an American-Canadian educational children's animated series created by Chris and Martin Kratt. The show premiered on PBS Kids in the United States and TVOKids in Canada in January 2011. It focuses on teaching biology, zoology, and ecology through adventures with animated versions of the... read more

The Contenders

Mighty Max

Mighty Max is an American animated action and science fiction television series that aired from 1993 to 1994. It was created to promote the British Mighty Max toy line, which was a male-targeted spin-off of the Polly Pocket line developed by Bluebird Toys in 1992. The show ran for two seasons and consisted... read more
Dexter's Laboratory

Dexter's Laboratory is an American comic science fiction animated television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky for Cartoon Network. It was the first series to be branded as one of the network's Cartoon Cartoons. The show follows Dexter, a boy genius with a secret laboratory.... read more

I would tone down Dee Dee's destructive tendencies towards Dexter's inventions. I get that she was very curious about what Dexter was up to, but the way she destroyed his inventions came off as really nasty and deliberate.
It would be nice to see the brother-sister relationship become stronger as the show progresses.
Freakazoid!

Freakazoid! is an American animated television series created by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini and developed by Tom Ruegger for the Kids' WB programming block of The WB. The series originally aired from September 9, 1995, to June 1, 1997. It is known for its unique blend of superhero action and surreal comedy... read more
Class of the Titans

Class of the Titans is a Canadian animated television series produced by Studio B Productions and Nelvana Limited. It premiered in 2005 and centers on a group of teenagers descended from ancient Greek heroes who battle mythological threats. The series is known for blending modern-day settings with Greek... read more
Rocko's Modern Life

Rocko's Modern Life is an American animated television series created by Joe Murray for Nickelodeon. The series centers on the surreal life of an anthropomorphic Australian-immigrant wallaby named Rocko, along with his friends: the gluttonous steer Heffer, the neurotic turtle Filburt, and Rocko's faithful... read more

This would be even better if one is planned and would take place after Static Cling, I think? Even though I have not seen it in more than two months.
Littlest Pet Shop

Littlest Pet Shop is a toy franchise and animated series owned by Hasbro. The original toy line was developed by Kenner in the early 1990s. Hasbro later revived the brand in the 2000s and launched several animated television adaptations.
Wolverine and the X-Men

Wolverine and the X-Men is a 2009 American animated television series produced by Marvel Animation. It is one of five animated series based on the X-Men franchise. The others include Pryde of the X-Men, X-Men: The Animated Series, X-Men: Evolution, and the anime series Marvel Anime: X-Men.
Puppy in My Pocket: Adventures in Pocketville
Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines
The Spectacular Spider-Man

The Spectacular Spider-Man is an American animated television series based on the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man. It was developed for television by Greg Weisman and Victor Cook. The show originally aired in 2008 and is celebrated for its strong storytelling and faithful adaptation of the comic book... read more
The Wild Thornberrys

The Wild Thornberrys is an American animated television series that aired on Nickelodeon. It was rerun in the United States on both Nickelodeon and Nicktoons until November 1, 2007. The show returned to The '90s Are All That for one night on March 21, 2013.... read more

With a reboot, I would add more attention to the family dynamics of the show. How do they manage to stay cooped up in that RV all the time without driving each other insane?
I always felt bad for Debbie. She was a teenage girl who desperately wanted the stability of a normal suburban life and meaningful friendships. In the reboot, I would have Debbie find out about Eliza's ability to talk to animals sooner. I would do it within the first season. It would give the sisters something to bond over, and Debbie could cover for Eliza when she's out interacting with the animals.
Atomic Betty

Atomic Betty is a Canadian-French animated television series that premiered in 2004. The show was created by Trevor Bentley, Mauro Casalese, Olaf Miller, and Rob Davies. It follows a young girl named Betty who lives a double life as a typical student and a Galactic Guardian protecting the universe.... read more

I just hope they don't turn it into an edgy, overly adult, or uncomfortable reboot, or worse, a live-action adaptation.
Animation styles have their own charm.
Duckman

Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man, commonly known as Duckman, is an American adult animated sitcom. It was created by Everett Peck and aired on the USA Network from March 5, 1994, to September 6, 1997. The show ran for four seasons and a total of 70 episodes.
CatDog

CatDog is an American animated television series created by Peter Hannan for Nickelodeon. The show centers on conjoined brothers, with one half being a cat and the other a dog. The series explores their daily lives and the challenges that arise from their very different personalities.
Catscratch

Catscratch is an American animated television series created by Doug TenNapel, who is also known for creating Earthworm Jim. The show aired on Nickelodeon and Nicktoons from July 9, 2005, to February 10, 2007.
It is an adaptation of TenNapel's graphic novel Gear, which is also the name of the... read more