Reboot The Avengers All You Like, But That Title Means Marvel Now

The UK’s second most famous 1960s British spy fantasy after James Bond is finally getting its long-rumoured reboot, reports Deadline. But what are they going to call it?

Two years before Iron Man, Hulk, Thor and co. made their comic book debut as ‘The Avengers’ in 1963, a UK TV series of the same name arrived that would continue all the way through the decade, and beyond in the form of 1970s sequel The New Avengers.

The Avengers was a one-hour weekly spy adventure series created by Doctor Who co-creator Sydney Newman, and starring Patrick Macnee as secret agent John Steed, with Bond actor Honor Blackman, Dame Diana Rigg, and Linda Thorson. As one of the UK’s most fondly remembered spy series featuring two of our most recognisable-in-silhouette TV characters, there’s been talk of a revival for years.

And now, says Deadline, it’s happening. StudioCanal is reportedly in talks with the writers of HBO/BBC finance drama Industry Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, and Sex Education director Ben Taylor, to usher in the revival. If all goes well, a new John Steed and Emma Peel will be cast, and audiences will get to see a fresh take on the gentleman spy and his catsuit-wearing assistant.

But – that question again – what are they going to call it?

Say “The Avengers” now, after Marvel enacted its multi-phase plan for world domination, and all anybody thinks about is Captain America and co. In the battle of IP, the US brand has blown the UK original clean away. (When the 2012 Joss Whedon-directed movie The Avengers was released in the UK, it was called Avengers Assemble to avoid confusion, but did you call it that? Did anybody?)

This problem was one of the few that didn’t affect the notoriously poor-performing Ralph Fiennes/Uma Thurman movie reboot of the UK show in 1998. Back then, the MCU hadn’t driven its flag into the public consciousness in the way it has now.

Which leaves that nagging question: if they do finally manage to pull off a reboot of The Avengers, what’ll they call it to avoid its unofficial title becoming “No, not those Avengers”?

The Avengers is available to stream on BritBox in the UK and to buy on Apple TV in the US.