'Xena: Warrior Princess' lives on in new TV reboot and comic book series

By: H&I Staff     Posted: March 2, 2016, 8:45AM   

Fans have waited patiently for over a decade to see their favorite warrior princess again, and this year they'll get a double dose of Xena: Warrior Princess in the form of a new TV show and comic book. 

Recently, the website io9 sat down with Javier Grillo-Marxuach, the show runner for the new Xena series, and Genevieve Valentine, the writer of the new Xena comic book, to find out how these new adaptations will incorporate the classic original show.

Fans were excited yet nervous last year when rumors began circulating that a Xena reboot was in the works. Since leaving the airwaves in 2001, the warrior princess has taken off as a cult classic.

When approaching the new series, Grillo-Marxuach says he wants to remain true to the original. He assures fans the reboot won't be set in modern day and that Xena will still have her Chakram, but also realizes certain things about the original can't be replicated. 

"I think if you jump in with the full meta as if you were picking up where the original left off, you are inadvertently undermining the universe for everyone who doesn’t already understand its rules intuitively," Grillo-Marxuach says. 

With the comic book, Valentine says she's excited not be confined by budgetary and time restrictions that plague television shows. By creating a comic book, she can explore more about Xena and the world in which she lives. 

"When a group of bad guys attacks our heroine, they're attacking in whatever numbers you'd like, with perfect lighting, flawless combat skills, and exactly the framing that works best to highlight the stakes and physical impact," Valentine explains.

Even though Valentine has lofty visions for the comic, she says she plans to work with the existing framework of the original show. 

One thing fans will miss is Lucy Lawless as the title character. Understandably, some are upset Lawless wasn't asked to reprise her role in the reboot. But Grillo-Marxuach says bringing the original Xena back would undermine the franchise in the future.

"The reboot is not a repudiation of the classic show, but rather a compliment to it," said Grillo-Marxuach. "I want for Xena to be a cultural icon for longer than my tenure in the entertainment industry."

The comic book Xena: Warrior Princess #1 hits shelves April 1. As for the new TV series, there's no word yet on when it will premiere.