The upcoming and widely anticipated sequel to Space Jam, Space Jam: A New Legacy, won’t feature the original film’s villains, The Monstars. It’s been twenty-five years since Space Jam first hit theatres and became a box office smash. Much has changed in basketball and Hollywood since then, making now the perfect time for a sequel.
Featuring basketball superstar Michael Jordan alongside a host of other NBA players and Hollywood stars, Space Jam told the story of a ragtag bunch of Looney Tunes characters who enlist Jordan's help to win a crucial basketball game. Known as the Toon Squad, the Looney Tunes team face off against an extra-terrestrial squad called The Monstars. This particular team has been supplemented with NBA stars' stolen athletic talents such as Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Muggsy Bogues, and Larry Johnson. A win will see the Looney Tunes taken to space, where they’ll become tourist attractions at the amusement park, Moron Mountain. It’s been naturally assumed by fans of the original Space Jam that a sequel will again feature The Monstars, but the film’s star – NBA legend LeBron James recently put an end to that possibility.
James appeared as a guest recently on the YouTube series Road Trippin’ and spoke about Space Jam: A New Legacy. When it came time to discuss the villains in the upcoming sequel, James avoided associating The Monstars with the new film. Instead, the L.A. Lakers forward carefully explained that a basketball game will take place against a team from another planet, but that this team is not known as The Monstars. When Road Trippin’ co-host Allie Clifton used the name Monstars, James replied:
“You can call them that [Monstars] – they have a different name. I won’t give the name.”
News that The Monstars won’t be the cause of trouble this time around will likely surprise many fans. The wait for the sequel has been so long that some fans have taken to producing art that they feel represents the possibilities of the sequel. Often this fanart has used The Monstars as a point of intrigue. However, just because the new extra-terrestrial team is no longer called The Monstars doesn’t mean they won’t still pose a substantial threat to James and his Looney Tunes pals. Twenty-five years is a long time between sequels, and although fans like a certain degree of familiarity, not bringing back The Monstars could mean that something even bigger and better is on its way from Warner.
There’s still quite some time to go before Space Jam: A New Legacy arrives, and with Warner’s new release schedule for 2021, the film will be widely seen, regardless of whether or not the COVID-19 pandemic remains persistent. But the bottom line is that sequels often change familiar elements in a franchise, and Space Jam: A New Legacy is ready to push forward with a new group of baddies, alongside a basketball superstar.
Source: Road Trippin' via YouTube
