Back in 2019, mere weeks before Disney had finalised its acquisition of 21st Century Fox, the former independent studio released a film adaption of the manga Gunnm, titled “Alita Battle Angel”. When “Alita Battle Angel” was released, the film came out to mixed reviews but has quickly gone on to become a cult classic, so I’m going to take a look at why Disney+ could utilise Alita as the next Star Wars.

There Is Already A Prequel Manga and Prequel Novel:

Let’s point out an obvious point, Gunnm, otherwise known as “Alita Battle Angel”, had a manga known as “Battle Angel: Alita Mars Chronicle”, which had many parts which showed Alita/Yoko/Gally’s backstory and life on Mars before The Fall. Disney+ could utilise the storyline within “Mars Chronicle” to expand the Alita franchise. There is also a prequel novel to the original movie. The novel told the stories of Ido, Hugo and Vector before the original film. If Disney decides to make an Alita prequel series, they have enough source material to adapt for a series.

Rodriguez Wants To Do More Alita:

Now, this is a big thing for several reasons. First of all, the director of “Alita Battle Angel”, Robert Rodriguez, has been working with Disney on several projects, including “The Book Of Boba Better”, “Happier Than Ever A Love Letter To Los Angeles” and “The Mandalorian”. Rodriguez also said that once he had finished working on “The Book Of Boba Fett”, then he would make a pitch to Disney for an “Alita Battle Angel 2”, but if Rodriguez wants to really make Disney agree, he should also pitch a prequel series for Disney+ to sweeten the deal for Disney execs.

Expanding Alita’s Dedicated Fanbase:

The fanbase for the “Alita Battle Angel” IP has steadily grown since the film premiered in 2019. Recently many Alita fans who use the fanbase name “Alita Army”.raised funds to provide a young child who is missing a limb with a bionic arm, which they planned to get bionic model, TV Presenter and Alita super fan Tilly Lockey to present to the child, The fanbase has also raised money in the past to fly a banner over Disney HQ. Since 2019 I’ve interacted with many members of the “Alita Army”, and I’ve even appeared on their “Radio Kaos” podcast. The “Alita Army” is dedicated to Alita, and I’m sure the fanbase would grow with a prequel series.

Expanding The Alita World:

Now, we all know Disney loves expanding the worlds and mythos of some of their franchises like the MCU and “Star Wars”. With Alita having several manga volumes still yet to adapt into a Disney+ prequel series would be a great way to help expand the lore of the Alita universe. Some of the stuff they could dive into is Alita’s life before “The Fall”, or Hugo’s life growing up in Iron City, or Ido’s life after leaving Zalem before meeting Alita for the first time. The possibilities are basically endless.

Expanding The Variety Of Disney+ Originals:

This is something I’ve been very critical of Disney on my social media. Disney seems to be trying to make Disney+ a streaming hub for Marvel and “Star Wars”, but not much else. An Alita prequel series could help expand the variety of content offered within the monthly subscription. Disney has made a few steps to try and provide a little more variety like greenlighting shows like “Percy Jackson” and “Paola Santiago”, but utilising Alita could help win subscribers who want something a little bit more mature.

Final Thoughts:

The 2019 adaption of “Alita Battle Angel” should have been more successful than it was, and I feel as if Disney could give the franchise another chance to shine. Imagine if Disney released a prequel series that was popular enough to warrant a theatrical sequel to the original film. It would be a good marketing opportunity for Disney+ and the Alita franchise. Streaming services like Disney+ need to offer a stream of new shows and movies constantly, so making a prequel series for a modern cult classic, whilst adapting the prequel stories from the original source material just seems like a no brainer to me.

What Do You Think? Should Disney+ Greenlight An Alita Prequel Series?

The 2019 adaption of “Alita Battle Angel” should have been more successful than it was, and I feel as if Disney could give the franchise another chance to shine. Imagine if Disney released a prequel series that was popular enough to warrant a theatrical sequel to the original film. It would be a good marketing opportunity for Disney+ and the Alita franchise. Streaming services like Disney+ need to offer a stream of new shows and movies constantly, so making a prequel series for a modern cult classic, whilst adapting the prequel stories from the original source material just seems like a no brainer to me.

What Do You Think? Should Disney+ Greenlight An Alita Prequel Series?

Ethan Holloway

Ethan is an autistic, type one diabetic, Disney fan who grew up with properties like Iron Man, The Lion King, Aladdin and Toy Story. Ethan wants to someday get his own books/films/TV shows made to inspire those with disabilities to be themselves, but for now, Ethan covers his opinions on Disney, their content and how Disney+ can improve.

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