British sci-fi series Misfits began 17 years ago, and it's well overdue for a comeback. Many British audiences will remember Misfits, a five-season sci-fi comedy-drama that aired on E4 from 2009 to 2013. The series starred a group of young offenders who gained superpowers in an electric storm, with the clever twist that each of their powers was tailored to their personalities. For example, Simon Bellamy, played by Game of Thrones actor Iwan Rheon, felt ignored and overlooked by society, which was manifested in his power to turn invisible.
The beloved five-season sci-fi holds a 92% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes with a strong 80% audience score. Misfits explored sci-fi elements such as time travel with heavy dark comedy and themes of unwanted responsibility. One storyline saw Simon travel back in time under the alias of Superhoodie to prevent another character's death, ultimately leading to his own death to complete a time loop.
Misfits ended in 2013 after five seasons due to declining viewership, the loss of its original cast, and a decline in quality. While the British Misfits were left behind, that didn't stop Freeform from plotting a U.S. adaptation in 2016 from Gossip Girl creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage.
The Disney-owned Freeform got as far as ordering a pilot for the sci-fi remake in 2017, which cast its own bunch of young offenders-turned-superpowered people (via Deadline). Despite shooting the pilot, the network never delivered any updates after that, leaving fans to conclude that it had been abandoned.
Beyond the planned U.S. remake, creator Howard Overman confirmed to Metro that he wrote a script for a Misfits feature film that would have continued on from the original series. He revealed in 2016 that the flick never got made due to "cast availability" and "money issues," meaning the story ended with Season 5:
"‘I did write a film, but then it never got made due to various things like cast availability. They were all doing other things, and it just got bogged down into money issues.’"
Shedding some light on the tale, Overman told how the abandoned movie would have seen Nathan (played by The Umbrella Academy actor Robert Sheehan) living in Las Vegas, with the other characters visiting him. He added that the immortal Nathan would have been a "s*** magician" taking advantage of his unique ability to "die in horrible ways," even featuring a tiger and zombies.
Why a Misfits Revival Needs to Happen
In the 13 years since Misfits, stories about super-powered people have only grown in popularity, thanks largely to the MCU's meteoric rise. Even as Marvel and DC have forged connected universes with their endless catalogs of heroes and villains, other tales in the genre, such as The Boys and Invincible, have picked up traction and arguably earned more acclaim due to their unique perspectives.
As Marvel and DC take steps to combat superhero fatigue after two decades of cookie-cutter storytelling, there remains a hankering for stories in this genre that bring fresh ideas to the table, which has allowed the likes of Wonder Man to shine.
It was the Disney-owned Freeform, which also aired Marvel series Cloak & Dagger, that took a shot at reviving Misfits for U.S. audiences, and it may be time for the House of Mouse to give it another go, perhaps even as a Disney+ original.
Alternatively, the original U.K. series gained significant popularity in international markets, including the U.S., where it landed on Hulu. Even if budgetary issues and cast availability prevented the Misfits movie, it would be interesting to see a revival of the original British show attempted with a new cast.
