Disney is bringing back The Rocketeer as a kid-friendly cartoon

In 2016, we reported that Disney was developing a “sequel-reboot” of Joe Johnston’s cult classic comic book adaptation The Rocketeer, with the plan being to introduce a new female Rocketeer to take the place of the original jetpack-having hero played by Billy Campbell in 1991 original. As far as we know, there haven’t been any developments on that project since then, but Disney isn’t just going to abandon the Rocketeer license for another few decades. As reported by Deadline, kids TV network Disney Junior has announced a new animated series called—appropriately enough—The Rocketeer.

The show is specifically being targeted at children between two and seven years old, which is pretty young, so it seems likely that this won’t be one of those cool action cartoons that older kids and adults can also get a kick out of. Also, interestingly, Deadline says the show is about a young girl who gets a jetpack and some superhero gear, setting her up as the next incarnation of the legendary Rocketeer. That’s the same basic premise as the planned reboot, so there’s a chance Disney canned that project in favor of this one.

 
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