While Disney is eager to develop The Return of the Rocketeer, a revival of 1990s cult classic The Rocketeer, original lead star Billy Campbell doesn’t know precisely why a sequel would come after more than three decades. During an exclusive interview with Collider’s Maggie Lovitt for Star Trek: Prodigy, where Campbell is reprising his role as Okana, the first Rocketeer discussed the upcoming reboot, while revealing that he doesn’t see the character as a superhero.

Released in 1991, The Rocketeer follows a young pilot (Campbell) who finds a revolutionary jetpack, a technology he uses to fight crime. There are some obvious similarities between the Rocketeer and Iron Man, a hero that would allow Disney to kickstart the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008. So, it might seem strange for the House of the Mouse to be working on The Return of the Rocketeer when they already have Marvel Studios crushing box office records almost on an early base. And as it turns out, Campbell also doesn’t understand why the Rocketeer would return when other superheroes dominate Hollywood. When asked why he thought the Rocketeer was getting a sequel, Campbell told us:

“I don't know, to be honest. I think why the movie should come back is that it was... I mean, of course, it wasn't the first superhero movie. And it's not a superhero movie, it's a regular guy movie. Except people keep telling me, ‘What's it like to be a superhero?’ But he's not really. He doesn't exist in a superhero universe either. Superman's not going to come flying around in the Rocketeer universe. So I don't know exactly.”

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RELATED: How 'The Rocketeer' Perfected the MCU Formula More Than a Decade Before 'Iron Man' (and Bombed Anyway)

While the Rocketeer might not fit in the superhero trend, according to Campbell, there are other great reasons to bring the character back. As Campbell explained, “I tell you what I love about the original film is its sweet spirit. In terms of that, I think that's reason enough to bring it back. We need more things with a sweet spirit these days.”

Who’s Involved with The Return of the Rocketeer?

The Rocketeer was supposed to start a new franchise at Disney. However, the company decided to shelve the project after the first movie bombed at the box office. Many years later, as superheroes became mainstream, people began to develop a new appreciation for The Rocketeer, which quickly became a cult classic. Not surprisingly, we first learned about a new Rocketeer-centric film in 2016.

The Return of the Rocketeer only gained shape in 2021 after Disney announced the new movie was being produced by David Oyelowo, Jessica Oyelowo, and Blake Griffin and Ryan Kalil’s Mortal Media. Now You See Me writer Ed Ricourt is in charge of the script, while J.D. Dillard was expected to direct. Unfortunately, Dillard recently revealed he’s no longer attached to the project, with no replacements for the director’s position announced so far.

The Return of the Rocketeer remains in development limbo, but you can expect to read about any new development here at Collider. To learn more about The Rocketeer and why it ranks at the 29th position in Collider’s best superhero movies list, check out the video below.