A well-known name in the film and TV industry recently revealed a piece of concept art from 2020 that came from a pitch to Disney to reboot the popular Gargoyles animated series from the 1990s. Disney has long been at the top of the food chain when it comes to animation, whether it be movies, classic television series, or shows on the Disney+ streaming platform. Throughout the 1900s and 2000s, Disney has produced and distributed dozens upon dozens of animated titles, and one of the most popular ones was undoubtedly the Gargoyles series from the '90s.
Ciro Nieli, a decorated director, producer, and showrunner in the animated world (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!, Teen Titans, etc.), recently revealed via Instagram that he went to Disney in 2020 with an idea to reboot the Gargoyles series from the 1990s, and even presented a piece of concept art for his idea. Nieli included that concept art in his Instagram post, showcasing what the group of New York City protectors would look like in his show.
As a whole, all of the main members from the original series were apparently set to return in Nieli's reboot. For instance, Goliath, Angela, Brooklyn, Broadway, and Lexington were all featured in the concept art, and looked almost identical to the way they looked in the original series.
The characters did appear updated a bit, likely due to the progression of animation and to differentiate the reboot from the original series. However, every character in the concept art is easily identifiable.
For example, Goliath still towers over the rest of the team and has his huge wings. Some of his facial features are a bit more detailed, though.
As mentioned, Angela was also included in the concept art. Angela is sporting a different, more detailed outfit in the concept art, and, notably, her wings aren't visible. In the original series, she had a set of wings like her father, Goliath did. It is possible they are still there in the concept art and could just be behind her back, but they can't be seen in the image.
Brooklyn was also a member of the Manhattan Clan in the original series and would have returned in Nieli's reboot. He was featured in the concept art, appearing a bit thinner with longer horns and a more exaggerated beak-like mouth.
Broadway was one of Brooklyn's rookery brothers in Gargoyles, and he also appeared in the concept art. Brooklyn looks pretty much the same as he did in the original show, with two teeth coming out of his lower jaw and blue skin.
Lexington (also Brooklyn and Broadway's rookery brother) is perhaps the most different. In the concept art, his skin appears lighter, his ears are longer and more pointy, and his mouth and head are thinner.
In the caption of the Instagram post Nieli shared, he also revealed a brief synopsis for his pitch for the reboot. According to the director and producer, it would not have been a different series, but "a respectful and simple continuation of the (original) series:"
"My pitch was a respectful and simple continuation of the series:
Canmore, with the Grimorium Arcanium, casts the Gargoyles back into a deep sleep while he overtakes the 5 Burroughs of NYC with crime lords and monster beasts. 25 years later, in 2020, once police commissioner, Eliza Masa, raises the Gargoyles from their spell and the fight to take back the city begins."
Nieli also detailed that, while it couldn't be seen in the piece of art, Goliath would have "lost his arm and replaced it with a cybernetic one:"
"The art choice was a streamlined look, because I wanted full 2D animation and was reluctant to change the established core aesthetic. Unseen here is Goliath had lost his arm and replaced it with a cybernetic one."
Ultimately, Disney scrapped Nieli's idea, deciding not to move forward with it, so an animated Gargoyles reboot is not currently in the works. However, there is a continuation of the show in development, just in a different manner.
Gargoyles Could Still Return in the Near Future
While Nieli's animated Gargoyles reboot never gained any traction at Disney, it was announced in 2023 that a live-action reboot of the '90s show was in development, and that Gary Dauberman would be the writer, executive producer, and showrunner.
Dauberman was revealed to be working alongside James Wan and Mark Verheiden, bringing a trio of horror names to the center of the Disney project. Not much has been said about the reboot since its announcement, but Dauberman confirmed in 2025 that it was still in the works and that they were trying to get it off the ground.
The live-action reboot will reportedly have a darker tone than the original series did, and will look at the characters in a new light. It is still unclear if the live-action show will ever actually be created, as it seems to be in a bit of a limbo state since it has been three years since it was announced. However, until Disney officially cancels it, fans have to believe that it will come out at some point.
