James Cameron has changed the face of science fiction in film. His first two Terminator films are still benchmarks in the sci-fi genre, to the point where actual Terminator sequels struggle to reach the same heights. With Avatar, he created a whole universe - and currently holds the distinction of directing the highest-grossing film of all time (with and without inflation). And with Aliens, he gave a jolt of action to the space-horror sequel. But Dark Angel, the television series Cameron co-created, deserves another look, especially since it shares thematic similarities with another project of his, Alita: Battle Angel.
Dark Angel takes place in an alternate 2009, where the organization known as Manticore has been creating genetically enhanced superhumans to carry out assassinations and other missions on its behalf. One of those soldiers, Max Guevara (Jessica Alba), escaped and helps cyber-journalist Logan Cale (Michael Weatherly) fight corruption while staying one step ahead of Manticore and her fellow "transgenic" soldiers. Cameron had been a fan of the Battle Angel Alita manga ever since Guillermo del Toro introduced him to it; he bought the rights to the manga and started on a lengthy journey to turn it into a film; Robert Rodriguez would ultimately land directing duties for Alita while Cameron co-wrote the script with Laeta Kalogridis and served as an executive producer.
The most common thread that Dark Angel and Alita share is their respective protagonists. Both Max and Alita are teenage girls with superpowers who stand up to the oppressive forces of their world, while also wrestling with an onslaught of feelings for someone in their lives. For Max, it's Logan; for Alita, it's the scavenger Yugo. And in both cases, their first loves end in tragedy. Manticore infects Max with a virus that will kill Logan if she ever makes contact with him, forcing the two to separate for their own good. And Yugo falls to his death when attempting to climb to the floating city of Zalem despite Alita's efforts to save him.
Cameron would also cast unknown actresses for both productions, with Jessica Alba playing Max in Dark Angel and Rosa Salazar playing Alita. Both projects turned out to be breakthrough roles for both Alba and Salazar; Alba would go on to star in genre fare, including the Fantastic Four films directed by Tim Story and Sin City, which Rodriguez co-directed with comic creator Frank Miller. Salazar has ironically taken the reverse path and shifted to television, with starring roles in the Netflix limited horror series Brand New Cherry Flavor and Prime Video's Undone. They continue to play women granted with incredible power in these projects. In the Fantastic Four films Sue Storm can turn invisible and summon force fields, while Undone protagonist Alma Winograd-Diaz gains the ability to manipulate time and space after a car crash.
Speaking of superhuman powers, both Max and Alita have skills that allow them to combat the forces of evil. Though her memories are spotty, Alita has complete mastery of the ancient martial art known as Panzer-Kurst. These skills, combined with her android strength and upgraded body, make her a formidable opponent. Max on the other hand is a "transgenic" super-soldier enhanced with animal DNA, giving her superhuman strength, speed and reflexes. Both characters also live in a cyberpunk setting; Alita lives in the rusty, scrap-filled city under Zalem and Max lives in a Seattle that's been disabled by a massive electromagnetic pulse, which led to the rise of cutting edge technology.
Sadly, neither Dark Angel or Alita: Battle Angel exactly set the world on fire. A large part of that was due to scheduling. Dark Angel found a rival in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series Angel (to the point where Angel's then-home network UPN took out an ad that claimed "There is ONLY ONE" in order to promote the series.) To make matters worse, the second season saw the series being moved to Friday nights — a death sentence in broadcast TV. Dark Angel was finally canceled in 2002. As for Alita, it was delayed for years due to Cameron's work on Avatar and its sequels, as well as 20th Century Fox being bullish on the budget. Alita would eventually premiere on Valentine's Day in 2019 to mixed reception.
However, both projects found new life after their debuts. Dark Angel was the subject of a video game, and a series of novels eventually tackled plot lines that would have been addressed in the third unproduced season.
Alita gained a fervent following online, with Rodriguez even saying he'd attempt to pitch the planned sequels Alita: Fallen Angel and Alita: Avenging Angel to 20th Century Studios if The Book of Boba Fett became a hit. If Rodriguez is eventually able to make the sequels, I would hope that he brings Alba on board in some capacity. That way, the bond between both projects can be fully acknowledged.