Babylon 5 is coming back for a new run on the CW. This pioneering show was one of the first to follow the now-standard serial format and is one of the more underrated sci-fi shows to come on the air. Despite its popularity, its sequel series, Crusade, was canceled midway through its first season. Given that it established such a big universe, fans are wondering whether the CW Babylon 5 will be a reboot or a sequel to the original series.
Is Babylon 5 on CW a sequel or a reboot?
To answer all the questions, yes, it’s true, Babylon 5 is in active development as a series for the CW. We have some serious fans over at the network, and they’re eager to see this show happen. I’m hip deep into writing the pilot now, and will be running the series upon pickup.
— J. Michael Straczynski (@straczynski) September 27, 2021
The CW Babylon 5 series will be a reboot, according to series creator J. Michael Straczynski. In his words:
“The network understands the uniqueness of Babylon 5 and is giving me a great deal of latitude with the storytelling. As noted in the announcement, this is a reboot from the ground up rather than a continuation for several reasons. Heraclitus wrote, ‘You cannot step in the same river twice, for the river has changed, and you have changed.’ In the years since B5, I’ve done a ton of other TV shows and movies, adding an equal number of tools to my toolbox, all of which I can bring to bear on one singular question: if I were creating Babylon 5 today, for the first time, knowing what I now know as a writer, what would it look like? How would it use all the storytelling tools and technological resources available in 2021 that were not on hand then?”
While Babylon 5 was a pioneer in serialized writing and using CGI effects instead of traditional models, visually, it hasn’t aged as well as some of its contemporaries. A reboot will give the creators a chance to show things from a fresh perspective, though we don’t know precisely how Straczynski will approach this series.
We can assume the Babylon 5 reboot on the CW will have the titular space station as its focal point. However, we don’t know if it’ll tell a similar story or an entirely new one with new characters.
