RELATED: 10 Shows To Watch If You Enjoyed Beastars
This series may have been campy at the best of times, but it was actually revered among animated shows of that era for its action and high-stakes adventure. Many fans look back on it fondly even today. This caused it to endure in the cultural zeitgeist for much longer than some might think, spawning numerous expansions and spreading to mediums outside of television. With a longstanding property like ThunderCats, however, there are bound to be a few quirks or secrets waiting to be discovered.
10 They Have Starred In Three Shows
Many people probably know about the original ThunderCats series from the ’80s that started the franchise. However, another show aired in 2011. This iteration boasted an angular, anime-inspired art style and offered more dramatic storytelling to complement its action-heavy focus. Sadly, it wasn’t all that marketable and got canned after one season.
Fast forward to 2020, and ThunderCats Roar premieres. The silly tone and rounded redesigns put many people off, and it failed to garner the attention of younger audiences it was clearly chasing. Although it produced more episodes than its predecessor, it was also cancelled after one season.
9 The Premiere Had A Two-Year Delay
The first season of ThunderCats was animated in 1983. Unfortunately, it didn’t actually air in the US until 1985 or the UK until 1987. The reason for this is unclear.
Maybe it had something to do with localization, since the show was animated in Japan. It wasn’t the first or last time a studio from across the water handled an American cartoon. TMS Entertainment, for instance, dabbled in several shows like Batman: The Animated Series and Tiny Toon Adventures. However, they weren’t involved as heavily as Pacific Animation Corporation was with ThunderCats. Luckily, it’s now one of the most binge-worthy shows on Hulu.
8 The Original Show Was Co-Produced By Rankin-Bass
Although it was animated in Japan, the ’80s ThunderCats was co-produced and distributed by Rankin-Bass Productions. You may not know the name, but you’ve likely seen their work.
Their most famous product is the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Christmas special that airs every year. However, the studio has also dabbled in various other animated movies and shows, such as Frosty the Snowman, The Little Drummer Boy, Here Comes Peter Cottontail, The King Kong Show, and 1977’s rendition of The Hobbit. With this in mind, maybe the cheesiness of the original ThunderCats starts to make more sense.
7 A Movie Has Been In The Works For Over A Decade
As with most properties popular at some point, execs have attempted a ThunderCats film several times. They originally planned a CG-animated movie in 2007. Unfortunately, this never made it to the big screen. The most people got was concept art and test footage leaked on YouTube.
RELATED: 11 Easter Eggs Only Die-Hard Fans Noticed In Godzilla Vs. Kong
More recently, a live-action ThunderCats flick entered development, with Adam Wingard set to write and direct. However, the project hasn’t entered production and has no release date, so it could fall apart. Considering the success of Godzilla vs. Kong, though, perhaps Warner Bros. should stay the course with Wingard.
6 They Teamed Up With He-Man In The Comics
Like many cartoons at the time, both these shows were bright, colorful, and hokey to the end. They also dealt with similarly fantastical-yet-futuristic settings. As such, it’s shocking that they never crossed over. They’re practically begging for cross-promotion.
In 2016, DC finally released a six-part comic story in which the ThunderCats and Masters of the Universe save their dimensions from Mumm-Ra and Skeletor’s evil scheme. Oddly enough, the artwork is more intense than any version of either property. The creators were probably targeting the adults who grew up with the original shows, relying on the nostalgia factor.
5 They Crossed Over With The Teen Titans On TV
Elsewhere on Crossover Corner, the feline fighters also meet the Teen Titans. This time, though, the event makes it to television. The downside is that it’s the team from Teen Titans Go!, a show reviled by longtime fans for its low-brow humor and kid-centric aesthetic.
Ironically, this is also the case for ThunderCats Roar. It’s probably the reason for the bitter jabs at detractors. The Titans have peppered these spiteful shots into their usual silliness for years. Why shouldn’t the ThunderCats get in on the fun? All creators should have contempt for their audience – just ask EA.
4 It Had A Small Circle Of Actors
The first season of ThunderCats had a whole host of problems. Not only did it face a two-year delay, but it had a grand total six actors. That’s right – six people were in the studio for sixty-five episodes.
This makes it tough to sell an entire world. To solve this problem, the folks playing the ThunderCats pulled double and triple duty, voicing multiple characters over the course of the season. While that’s common practice for many voice actors, it’s rarely done out of absolute necessity. Everyone’s heard of budget cuts, but this is ridiculous.
3 Milla Jovovich as Cheetara?
In 2017, an interview revealed that Milla Jovovivich wants to play Cheetara in a ThunderCats movie. Many probably know the actress for The Fifth Element, the Resident Evil flicks, and the recent Monster Hunter movie.
RELATED: 5 Best & Worst Video Game Movies (According To Rotten Tomatoes)
Considering her action-based roles, Jovovich seems like a solid choice for the character. After all, Cheetara is one of the most capable warriors on the team. Just don’t let Paul W.S. Anderson direct it. He has a bad habit of style-over-substance action adaptations with his ex-wife, and their track record speaks for itself.
2 Larry Kenny Has Been In All Three Shows
Of the small group of actors, most of them weren’t involved with the franchise after the ’80s show. It’s a different story when it comes to Larry Kenney. He originally voiced Lion-O, the main protagonist.
Years later, the creators of the 2011 series brought him back to play Claudus, Lion-O’s father. It’s a familiar yet fun bit of legacy casting, akin to the Arrowverse getting John Wesley Shipp back as the Flash’s dad. Finally, Kenney stepped into the studio again for ThunderCats Roar, playing Jaga and the original Lion-O in guest appearances. That’s longevity for both the actor and the franchise as a whole.
1 It Was An Educational Show
Several cartoons from this era tried to proffer some wisdom to kids. They didn’t just infuse a wholesome message into the episode’s story; they trotted the characters out at the end to deliver a condescending lesson to the children watching.
ThunderCats took this one step further. Telepictures created thousands of worksheets intended for classrooms. Students would then answer questions relating to the episodes and their morals, and those who participated got gift certificates for their work. It’d be one thing if Sesame Street or Between The Lions did this, since series like these are made for education, but including homework for an action show is an oddball concept. No wonder it didn’t catch on.
NEXT: 10 Of The Most Breathtaking Visuals In Cartoons
