For six years, Xena: Warrior Princess valiantly graced TV screens everywhere. She first appeared in the Hercules: The Legendary Journeys series and was originally meant to die. However, creators John Schulian and Robert Tapert tapped R.J. Stewart and Sam Raimi to develop the warrior princess into a Wonder Woman-like character. Xena: Warrior Princess starred Lucy Lawless (Parks and Recreation) as Xena and Renee O’Connor as Gabrielle, Xena’s companion. The warrior princess is from the ancient city of Armphipolis and must use her fighting skills to redeem herself from previous mistakes. Xena had a mass following for its sword-wielding women leads.
Around 2015, NBC was rumored to have been in talks with Lawless to reboot the series for a newer audience. Lost creator Javier Grillo-Marxuach, along with Raimi and Tapert, were all on board for the reboot. But after a preview for the pilot, NBC scrapped the reboot project in 2017, citing creative differences. Grillo-Marxauch wanted to make the lesbian subtext between Xena and Gabrielle more explicit, which could have worked well with younger audiences of the late-2010s. Original fans could have seen Lawless and other original cast members return, either as their previous roles or in new ones. But the biggest reason for the reboot would be to see a non-superhero woman kick some serious ass with her girlfriend by her side. Here's why a Xena: Warrior Princess reboot could work, and why it couldn't.
Could Work: Lesbian Representation on TV
TV and film have undoubtedly changed in regard to representation over the last five years, despite still having a long way to go. But in the history of television, representation of the LGBTQ+ community has been the primary target of hateful stereotypes, like trans people being dangerous, or the overtly gay best friend. Much of LGBTQ+ representation falls on men who are trans or gay, while lesbians or bisexual women are fetishized. A few shows tried to move beyond these harmful stereotypes through subtext.
Xena: Warrior Princess was one of those shows that had a lesbian subtext without fetishizing the women. Due to the studio’s demands, however, subtext was as far as Xena and Gabrielle’s relationship could go, according to Screen Rant. This subtext was also a sign of the times and the most progressive a major studio was able to be in the 1990s and early-2000s. But since Xena’s cancelation, production studios have finally caught on that showcasing a specific group properly will draw in audiences. Reboots will certainly draw criticism, but not Xena, especially with Grillo-Marxauch’s promise to honor the relationship between Xena and Gabrielle. According to Looper, the warrior princess and her Amazonian warrior girlfriend would be a legit couple, and Xena’s previous hetero relationships would remain in the past.
Could Work: The Original Cast’s Return Would be Epic
While Lawless and O’Connor were confirmed to return as their original characters in the previously planned Xena: Warrior Princess reboot, it’s always a possibility for more of the original cast to make appearances. Autolycus (Bruce Campbell), the King of Thieves, was in several episodes, so as an ally of Xena, his appearance in the reboot would be exciting to explore further. One of Xena’s more formidable enemies is the Goddess Callisto (Hudson Leick). The goddess' mission is to make Xena’s life as unbearable as possible. Hope (Amy Morrison) is the daughter of Gabrielle and the evil god Dahak. When she was an infant, she strangled someone who attempted to kill her so to see her in the reboot fighting beside her mother would be epic.
Could Work: TV Could Use a Warrior Princess Again
In the age of superheroes, rarely do audiences get to see a woman kick ass in a solo project. Marvel has plenty of women leading the fight, sure, but the amount of male superheroes who have their own movies/shows disproportionately outnumbers the ones led by women. Similarly, DC does have women characters leading fights, but they have yet to introduce them onto the big screen or on TV, minus Wonder Woman. With so many superheroes or enhanced individuals being given center stage, a Xena: Warrior Princess reboot could potentially add some women-driven action that isn’t a crime show. Additionally, princesses are often portrayed in a non-warrior light. Even as Disney embraces three-dimensional princesses who step down from the throne or are interested in adventure over marriage, not many are warriors. Xena is part of a small sector of princesses who are warriors. The pros of rebooting Xena, for this reason alone, are insurmountable.
Couldn't Work: Studios Favor Miniseries Over Long-Haul
Modern viewers are familiar with miniseries, especially if they subscribe to one or more streaming platforms. Typically, a miniseries, or limited series, has a minimum of two episodes and a minimum runtime of 2.5 hours. Yet, these types of series are favored by streaming services, not television. The surge in miniseries on streaming platforms is due to the high-quality content and richer stories developed within six to ten episodes. For a reboot, the pressure is astronomically high due to returning fans' expectations in addition to the lure of new fans. With the popularity of limited series, a Xena: Warrior Princess reboot may see more success as a limited series rather than a 20+ episode series. Then again, TV could be returning to longer series. For example, Abbott Elementary premiered with a 13-episode first season, but returned with 22 episodes in its second season. This return to a normal series by Abbott Elementary could signal that other studios may abandon limited series, putting the Xena reboot at risk.
Couldn't Work: Xena as the new Lost?
One of the most memorable TV series of the past fifteen or so years is Lost. The show followed several people who survived a plane crash on a deserted island. For six seasons, audiences were captivated by what would be uncovered on the island and if the survivors would ever return to their normal lives. In an interview with Digital Spy, one of the showrunners of Lost revealed two reasons the show had to end, despite fans' dismay. Due to the mythological aspect of the island, showrunners were unsure how long the mythology would last and that they were running out of flashback ideas. The underlying reason for the show's cancelation is that it went on too long. A Xena: Warrior Princess reboot could also run into this problem, especially if the entire story isn’t planned well.
Couldn't Work: Lucy Lawless Wouldn't Be Xena
Sometimes, studios make difficult decisions, like cutting scenes or choosing a different lead for their production. These decisions are often met with disdain or celebration. Yet, with reboots, the stakes for the original cast to reprise their roles is typically the goal. According to CNET, the executives behind the Xena reboot would cast Lawless in the show but as a different character. As outraged as fans are at this decision, all the pressure of the reboot would have been alleviated if Lawless were to reprise her role as the warrior princess. But as she is not, any hope for a Xena: Warrior Princess reboot is up to fate.