After a ten year break from theatrical releases, in December of 2015 Star Wars came thundering back to the big screen with J.J. Abrams’ The Force Awakens. The film honored the franchise’s roots and introduced new characters and storylines that organically included the original trio of characters: Han, Luke, and Leia. It went on to gross $2 billion globally and receive glowing reviews.
(Wait, isn’t this supposed to be a Stargate article? … Just stay with me here.)
Earlier that year, the Jurassic Park franchise rebooted in a similar fashion with Jurassic World – a part sequel, part remake (“re-quel,” if you will) that brought us back to Isla Nublar, this time with a fully functioning dinosaur theme park open to the general public. It grossed a whopping $1.67 billion at the global box office.
And while Star Trek initially struggled with its alternate “Kelvin Timeline” theatrical films, the franchise has since found extensive success with no less than five television shows now streaming on Paramount+ in 2022 – most of which feature legacy characters, or otherwise contain deep ties to existing Star Trek lore.
Okay, so really – what does this all have to do with Stargate?
The answer is: a lot. And it points to the one viable path that MGM and its new owner, Amazon, have in front of them when it comes to returning Stargate to our screens.
The best of SG-1 and Atlantis meet in the fan-favorite crossover episode “The Pegasus Project.”
THE POWER OF LEGACY
For the last decade legacy franchises have reigned supreme, and nostalgia is worth its weight in gold. 1980s and 90s kids who enjoyed the films and television shows of their era are now adult consumers with families. As everyone struggles to cope with our increasingly dystopian reality, we find immense comfort in returning to our favorite fictional worlds populated by our childhood heroes. Hollywood has learned that if you bring back a dormant franchise’s legacy characters and pick up the story where it left off – people will turn out in droves.
So it’s entirely reasonable to wonder why Stargate – one of the longest running and most successful sci-fi television franchises of all time – has yet to receive its own proper, in-canon continuation.
After May of 2011 – when Stargate Universe signed off with its series finale “Gauntlet” – it was only a matter of time until Stargate would return in some form. In 2014, MGM put a Stargate reboot trilogy into development with 1994 Stargate feature film director Roland Emmerich, but that project sputtered out a few years later. Since then, MGM has failed to green light or announce any new Stargate projects, with the exception of the 2018 web series Stargate: Origins.
Toward the end of the decade, MGM made it known it was interested in being acquired by a major studio or other buyer. Finally, in May of 2021, Amazon announced that it was acquiring MGM – and as of May 2022, the acquisition is functionally complete.
The Stargate franchise left Destiny and its fate unresolved when SGU went off the air in 2011.
Amazon will want to get its money’s worth out of MGM’s content library, and will eventually put new Stargate content into production. But despite the variety of options available, I believe there is only one surefire way to reinvigorate this brand and ensure its long-term viability.
WHERE THE FANS ARE
If Amazon wants the Stargate franchise to return to its former glory, it must green-light an in-canon continuation of the television universe we know and love. Any new show has to honor Stargate’s established mythology while also serving as an effective introduction to new viewers who are just discovering the franchise.
One look at Stargate’s juggernaut fandom and Amazon should realize the importance of adhering to the existing canon loved by so many. Stargate’s fandom continues to thrive after a decade of (almost) no new narrative content. Stargate-specific conventions still happen across several different countries. There are numerous Stargate Facebook groups and Twitter pages with sizable followings, a big Stargate subreddit, and Stargate cosplayers to be found at fan conventions across the globe.
Brand new, fan-made Stargate content on YouTube will often get six figure viewership. And back in December of 2019, the #WeWantStargate Twitter campaign (coordinated by Stargate producer Joseph Mallozzi) trended #1 in Australia, Canada, France, and the United States, and #2 Worldwide.
Yet these legions of fans have not stuck around for so long simply because of the Stargate itself. They’re invested in these particular characters, their familial relationships, the world-building, and the singular, unified vision (across all three series) from Brad Wright and his team of writers.
While wiping the slate clean with a reboot may be enticing to new corporate owners, such a decision would result in disastrous long-term consequences for the franchise. A hard reboot would alienate Stargate fans loyal to the television canon (more or less the entire fandom), and it would diminish the relevance of Stargate’s existing library – permanently separating it from future content.
When Disney bought Star Wars, did it recast Han, Luke, and Leia, and remake A New Hope? No, that would be completely unthinkable and have resulted in an apocalyptic blow-back. Star Trek’s Kelvin universe film series should also be a cautionary tale for the limited payoff (and significant risk) of producing an alternate timeline or reboot iteration of a beloved franchise – something that attempts to be flashy and modernized in its approach but ultimately fails to satisfy hardcore fans and casual viewers alike.
Maybe Amazon doesn’t realize this, but to Stargate fans the legacy characters of SG-1 are held in the same regard as the original trio from Star Wars. O’Neill, Carter, Daniel Jackson, and Teal’c are Stargate fans’ Han, Luke, and Leia. All of the primary SG-1 actors are still alive (and most still work in the film industry), and they have all signaled a willingness to appear in a new Stargate project.
Disney saw box office success not by rebooting Star Wars but by extending its canon into new territory.
And it doesn’t stop with SG-1 characters. There are plenty of legacy characters from Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe who would be huge draws if they were to make an appearance in a new Stargate series.
So why try to recreate the magic of Stargate with a reboot when you can just continue the magic? An extensive, interconnected, creative universe with iconic characters, spin-off opportunities, and lucrative merchandising potential … all of this already exists. It’s just waiting for someone to tie up the loose ends and move the franchise forward in a clever and exciting way.
RETURN OF THE KING?
Speaking of continuing the magic, Brad Wright – the co-creator and showrunner of Stargate SG-1, Atlantis, and Universe – completed a pilot script back in 2020 for a brand new, fourth in-canon Stargate series. When asked by Syfy Wire about his series, Wright said:
My goal was to create something that was new that also honored the existing universe, that lived in the canon of SG-1, Atlantis, and Universe, and therefore included some of those characters. Bring in a new guard? Absolutely. But not at the expense of the pre-existing characters, who I think would still be very much on their game and still firing on all cylinders.
He added that legacy characters like General Samantha Carter would be present in his new series, if he gets to make it. “Of course there would be a General Carter, why wouldn’t there be? Who else would run the whole shebang other than her?”
It seems like Wright’s approach checks all of the important boxes for a successful franchise re-invigoration. It follows the model of The Force Awakens by returning to a franchise’s golden era to pass off the baton to a younger generation of heroes (while also including the old guard in a meaningful way). Wright even mentioned the possibility of including something akin to a “Stargate Academy” in the show, where beloved legacy characters train a new generation of S.G.C. personnel.
Stargate SG-1, Atlantis, and Universe co-creator Brad Wright has a fourth series waiting in the wings.
Now, I’m sure Amazon has considered doing a hard reboot of Stargate SG-1 – as SG-1 was the most successful and recognizable iteration of the Stargate franchise. But I would argue that by embracing Wright’s pitch, Amazon can have their SG-1 reboot while also giving the fans the in-canon continuation they deserve.
Wright’s new Stargate series could focus on a young, fresh-faced SG-1 team who are just settling into their new role – but who reports to legacy characters currently serving as military leadership (Carter, O’Neill, Sheppard, Telford, etc.). The new SG-1 can certainly develop their own identity and team dynamics, but their work will be an extension of the same Stargate Command that we know and love – following up on key alien races, storylines, and galactic dynamics that were planted in past Stargate series.
Still, there is a chance to travel into exciting new territory given how Brad Wright has announced that the Stargate program will be disclosed to the general public if his new show gets produced. Such a development would see the Stargate program operating on an entirely new level, and the examination of how humanity as a whole would handle such knowledge is ripe with excellent storytelling potential.
Stargate writer and producer Joseph Mallozzi is one of the few people to have read Wright’s script. He stated on Reddit that if this show is picked up the Destiny will make an appearance, and several unfinished storylines from SGU will be addressed (something that fans have been clamoring about for many years, given the uncertain fate of Destiny and her crew at the series’ end).
The episode “Proving Ground” features a group of young cadets recruited into the Stargate program.
THE CANON MUST CONTINUE
All of these ideas are very exciting, but there is no guarantee that Amazon will pick up Brad Wright’s fourth Stargate series (… although if there is any shred of justice in the universe, they will).
However, regardless of who they enlist to helm a new Stargate series, the important thing is that Amazon honors the existing canon of Stargate and builds off the incredible shared universe that made the franchise what it is today. To toss aside 17 seasons of mythology with a fiercely loyal following (and a clear opportunity to continue the story in an accessible way) would be illogical and detrimental to the overall strength of the brand.
So, Amazon, if you’re listening: please don’t forget about the characters, planets, storylines, themes, and unique creative approach that made Stargate into the successful and widely adored franchise that it is today. The fans are longing for another trip through the event horizon – and only you can take us there.
What do you think? Should Amazon continue the existing canon from the Stargate television universe … or reboot and start from scratch? Vote in the poll and sound off in the comments!
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While I like most of everyone else would love to see the TV version of the franchise continue, I don’t think its as simple as comparing it to Star Wars and Star Trek. Star Wars to be plain and simple is really 3 movies, That’s it! If you want to get into that franchise you only NEED to dedicate about an hour and 45 minutes. If you want, you can just watch the movies, or just the live-action stuff. Star Trek is closer to Stargate as there are multiple shows and movies but really the 2009 film helped the franchise… Read more »
Bring back the Wraith – please
I would not mind brining Todd back as a permanent member of sg1
Oh I love that idea! But the rest of the team would have to make sure that he watches his mouth. Both of them
Although Roland Emmerich (whom I’ve spoken to) still has every right to make a movie, and Amazon now has every right to totally re-boot the series. Both would probably fail no matter how much money they pour into it. This quest that we fans have been on for over a decade, is mostly because of the work of one man. Brad Wright is that man, and to most of the gate-loving world, he IS Mr. Stargate. If they go with him, and let him do things his way, they’ll be glad they did. The moral of the story is simple.… Read more »
I’m in the uk, loved stargate growing up and miss seeing it on TV. No mention of it anywhere in the uk on streaming sites etc so been looking at the old box sets. Has anyone seen the cost to sg1 full box set… Still big money over here. Defo a good sign for Amazon todo a reboot.
I found all 10 seasons of SG-1 on eBay. All in all it cost me around £60. I also bought Stargate: Atlantis complete 5 season box set for £20. Hope this helps if you’re looking to buy it all. Good luck.
It available on Sky TV via Sky Max channel. Currently rewatching SG1
Amazon has the box set of all three series together for 110 dollars us i mean yea its alot but when your getting 17 season thats under ten dollars a season its actually pretty cheap considering the amount of content also in the US sg1 is on Netflix again so you can use a VPN and set it for a us server and watch it there
The only way for a Stargate reboot to succeed is to follow the cannon of the original TV show. Stargate Universe was a disaster
Yeah it was. I watched one episode and said “yuck”!
I must admit I really enjoyed Universe. It had a great cast and a (slightly) more hard edged adult feel with some very good writing and more nuanced characterisation. I know that put some people off but I would welcome it being revisited in the context of a new more broadly focussed series. Also I really need to know what happened after that cliffhanger ending.
I found the characters wooden and uninspiring. I felt the writing was depressing and the storylines contrived. Just my opinion.
When the only guy who wants to be on the ship is the bad guy you have a poor concept match for what should be the target audience.
Finally, someone that recognizes how great of a series it was. It had an amazing practical cut way too short
I watched it and liked it but I agree it was a left turn too far. stargate origins, on the other hand, was an absolute travesty
Although a fan base is indeed a big deal, series need to also attract new viewers. Star Trek was cancelled after three seasons for lack of viewership, but built a fan base in syndication. Small things made it accessible to new viewers. Kirk’s voiceover in the intro sequence tells not just what the series is about, but also the idealistic motivations of the crew. It’s exposition, but almost transcends that, into a statement of who they are, and the unknown strange new worlds that they’ve thrust themselves into for five years. A similar statement from a Stargate character would have… Read more »
Well said
Brad Wright is our Gene Roddenberry. If Amazon/MGM wants to have a financially successful revival of the Stargate franchise he must be involved. He’s the one with the knowledge and vision, the one who knows how to tie it all together by creating something fresh yet including the legacy. Amazon can’t afford to risk angering the existing fandom, and has everything to gain by embracing it. They won’t believe how much free marketing and publicity they will get if they give us what we want. I for once, pledge to become a Prime customer the day they give us what… Read more »
I think they should start with all new characters on another world. Introduce us to new characters discovering their stargate and then gradually meeting earth and the SGC later in the season. That way our base is new but it exists in universe.
Loved the whole franchise! SGU was just starting to grow a beard. New show could be about rescuing the crew from Destiny, using it on missions between Earth and Pegasus.
I just don’t want them to completely change the look and feel of everything, keep saying it is somehow the same canon and tell long time fans they are now just bigots because the stargate looks nothing like it used to. Also I really liked SGU. My only “nope” with it was when destiny crew were using someone else’s body (by the communication stones) to bang their significant other!
I bet that’s exactly what they do. I have no interest in seeing yet another property flush down the woke toilet.
So the whole communication stones thing was an interesting take on the reality of the technology. I felt that while SGU was a mature lens into the franchise, it was a great take on the lengths people could go to get what they want.
I was very disappointed at the end of “Stargate Universe”, and I’m still waiting for some kind of continue. The other two SG1 and Atlantis ended in a mostly natural way, but the way SGU ended was catastrophic.
While I want them to continue the TV continuity, and bring back legacy characters, I still say the Stargate should not be disclosed. Part of the fun of SG1, and even some episodes of SGA, was trying to handle leaks to keep the public from finding out about the Stargate. Take that away entirely, and you’ll lose a big part of what separates Stargate from its rivals, Star Wars and Star Trek. They can still have a “Stargate Academy”, just keep it secret, like what we saw in “Proving Ground” and “Prodigy”. Just have it be a secret academy that… Read more »
to do the same with THE EXPANSE?
Netflix will botch it and make it into a woke mess. Hard pass.
MGM was bought by Amazon, there’s no Netflix here to wokeify it.
The original and Atlantis are the best. I watch them over and over again when runs play. Universe was just lost in the vastness of the real universe. It had potential but no real good moral characters to anchor to and seemingly no direction it seemed for the show overall. I still watched it out of dedication to Stargate but was not really bothered by the cliffhanger ending because the show never really grabbed me in the first place.
For the love of canon please do not let Jeff Bezos get his hands on any more of my childhood.
stargate origins was total crap. how do we get beyond THAT?
Yes SGU should continue where it was cancelled so as to finish the story or some years after going into main space to avoid the robot armada
A hard reboot would not alienate fans if it was done well. Lets be honest plenty of things made no sense in the original series. Like the looks differently in the movie vs the tv show, 3 shots from a zat disintegrates, the weird ascended being ancient nonsense that the show started pushing out. It was very much a show from the late 90s that was surviving year by year and the writing reflects this lack of structure.
How would you know if you aren’t a fan?
You don’t even seem to know about TV or science fiction given your surprise with the year to year nature of tv shows.
Of course a hard reboot would alienate the fans because you are throwing 17 seasons of TV that the fans were fans of in the toilet. I assume you must work in Hollywood to have the deep understanding of fandom you’ve just shown.
What ever happened to young clone O’neill? He would be a great character to revive. He already has all knowledge up through Season 7. Michael Alan Welch (born July 25, 1987) is an American actor. Episode: Fragile Balance
Sure hope they film another season of stargate universe. We never found out what destiny finds …
Don’t let Amazon touch this! Didn’t you see what they did to Wheel of Time? Well likely get another STD :(
As much as I would love to find out what happened after all of the shows ended, I disagree that there is and abundance of room for good, long term storytelling left. I honestly think the best thing for Amazon to do is a hard reboot, with Brad Wright as the showrunner. I think it’s the best compromise between opening the show up to a new audience while not abandoning existing fans by bringing in someone new.
Wow!
How could you have such a limited imagination?
Stargate is built on gate a system to travel to other planets. There’s no limit to what you can do with that.
Are you really telling me that if you found a system of stargates you’d get bored and stop using them in a few years?
If they make it woke, no one will watch. It will be another cancelled show in the long list of them.
Honestly, best place to pick it back up is with Atlantis since it’s still stuck on Earth. Yes I love the Atlantis cast but it wouldn’t even have to be them – they could have moved on to other jobs in the programme, so you could have a new staff in the city when something happens and exposes this giant alien city to the world. I mean it’s a heckuva lot more obvious than the stargate inside Cheyenne mountain. A scenario like that would give scope to substantial cameos from legacy characters, while also giving clear purpose and roles to… Read more »
I love and will always love the Stargate franchise…but I don’t want new stuff, at least not yet. So just leave it alone, maybe come back to it in a few more years. Otherwise it’ll be just another destroyed franchise filled with the “woke message” at the expense of good storytelling.
Amazon has a poor record with programs with canon….
Why open with the lame statement about honoring story lines? This is one of the reasons we don’t get nice stuff.
Any real fan will watch and if it’s any good we’ll keep watching.
We might prefer x, y or z but it’s not like there are options for other stargate variants. Do you really think some fans would get butt burn so badly they’d boycott over a story line not being consistent???
Would they be fans?
When it ended you still had wraith that most were freed from having to feed but could still have some who may not have been converted. The goa’uld were not all dead and still had scattered system lords lurking about. The ori were all dead and all the followers showed the truth, and now had to make their own way, could be some were upset and decided to take revenge on those that broke their faith. Also, the ori galaxy was never explored and no telling what else was in it that may have been hiding from them and now with… Read more »
Woke writers ruined star treck, star wars, lord of the rings, the orvile. I bet they can ruin this also.
I loved all three shows, SG-1, SGA and SGU. I felt like SGU was just beginning to grow into its full potential when it was cancelled. Since then, I’ve rewatched all three more times than I care to count. I also read the SGA Legacy Series books to continue feeding my need for more Stargate (if you’ve not read them, give it a go, they’re surprisingly good). If I had the money, I would commission a new Stargate Canon (with Brad Wright at the helm, obviously) myself. I just hope that if Amazon does pick it up, they don’t destroy… Read more »
lmao at all the comments asking not to “wokefy” the franchise. What the frak do you mean? SG-1 was a very forward-thinking show already, and I bet that if y’all watched it today for the first time, many of you would moan at how “woke” it is. You people have issues.
Come on, More Star Gate, . Do two series, one finish Star Gate universe, other continue of Atlantis, then join them. Or finish them both with a movie, then join them. Bring new and old Aliens. Don’t listen to the haters!
Loved SGC Universe! The end will make the beginning.. Tired of the same start rack movies.Boring.
Please don’t cram woke garbage into Stargate. Just go forward with the integrity of SG1 and attract true descent sci-fi lovers.
Amazon…you will lose orders as well as viewers! Keep true to the good vs evil! Not evil is legal and good. Stay true to Jack, Sam, Daniel and Teal’c!!! Please!
If they do this then the first few episodes should be a passing of the torch from the old crews to the new one. This way we get to see our fan favorites one last time…..except for cameo appearances as the story calls for it.
Ok hear me out its been years so we could quickly wrap up universe with destiny returned to earth and sg1 based out of the atlantis ship which is also on earth now and throw in the fact that by now we can build zpms and much larger destiny based ships Carter and Shepard over see sg1 and Daniel Jackson is Atlantis myth lore and history expert there to support all teams missions the wraith have been converted to a normal diet with out the loss of there long life and strength and now side with earth and asgard against… Read more »
I know my opinion is going to be unpopular after reading several other people’s post but that’s ok because everyone else is wrong lol. Out of all the series, none of them captured my attentionbcc as deeply as stargate universe. I’m researching it for the 6th time and every time I do I get pissed off after the final episode when there are no more and I’ve become so rooted in finding the source of the complexity in the CMB. The show was amazing with an outstanding storyline and just so many possibilities to come. I’m honestly confused as to… Read more »
i’m a 90s kid and grew up watching sg1 and atlantis by the time i got into high school. as i’ve grown since SGU, do i look back at SGU differently. i look at it in a more postive light and sad it went away. but i still stand by how i felt back then because watching it today, even though i do enjoy it now and wish for a season 3 and beyond, i still recognize why i was upset back then and that’s because there is too much drama in it compared to sg1 and atlantis. the only… Read more »
finish sgu
Where can I sign the petition???
people love stargate because of the tv canon (tv universe). not because of the original movie. if the tv series never happened, the tv movie would have stayed an even more smaller, obscure following. what made stargate big is what the tv series and ITS creators turned it into. 99% of those who love stargate love it because of the tv series. ignoring the series would be a massive blunder. they can do a new series / movie based off the existing content. there is so much to it that would allow them to explore. there is no need to… Read more »
I want another season of Stargate Atantis. I loved the show. It shouldnt been canceled
Amazon plans to continue the story with the return of Ra, except its an offspring sybiote (son and hathor, that has been in hiding and amassing new forces. an SG team and free Jaffa run into other jaffa in service to this new Ra. A return of Goa’uld and the original feel I like, the Ori plot i HATED! and as far as i am concerned Sg-1 ended with the battle on earth and movie where baal was stopped. Atlantis was good, but not the ORI plot of sg-1 later seasons.