Could Amazon really be on the verge of bringing The Tick‘s blue-knuckled fist of justice back to television? That’s the rumor that began making the rounds recently, much to the delight of anyone who’s ever watched an episode of the canceled-too-soon live-action series that starred Patrick Warburton as the iconic (but dimwitted) hero with a heart of gold.
People.com reports via an anonymous source that Amazon Studios recently inked a deal with The Tick creator Ben Edlund to write and produce a new live-action series based on his popular comic-book character, with Warburton reprising the title role. There’s been no official word from Amazon, Warburton, or Edlund about the deal thus far, so it’s still entirely unconfirmed — but the fact that anyone is even talking about a potential return for The Tick at this point is reason enough for fans to celebrate.
After a successful three-season run as an animated series, the live-action version of The Tick aired for only one season on Fox in 2001 despite almost universal praise from critics and audiences alike, with Warburton playing a somewhat naive, idealistic costumed superhero who takes it upon himself to protect the city from a wide range of comical threats.
Related: Amazon Studios developing five kid-friendly pilots for 2015
He’s joined by a bizarre cast of heroes and villains (often inspired by famous Marvel and DC Comics characters), including Lost actor Nestor Carbonell as “Batmanuel,” a Latino version of Batman. Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood created the costume worn by Warburton for the series, as well as various other characters’ costumes.
Men In Black and Get Shorty director Barry Sonnenfeld, who directed the pilot episode of The Tick, called it the “the best thing I’ve ever directed” in a 2009 interview, and both Warburton and Carbonell have lamented the mishandling of the series by Fox.
If the rumors proves true, The Tick would join the still-short list of original series produced by Amazon Studios. Thus far, the studio has produced one season of each of the five series that it green-lit in recent years, including the critically praised Alpha House starring John Goodman, which was recently renewed for a second season. Seven more series are scheduled to premiere over the next few months and throughout the first half of 2015.
