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Nicolas Ayala is a Senior Writer for the Comics team at ScreenRant, with over five years of experience writing about Superhero media, action movies, and TV shows.
The most underrated of Disney's 1990s movies returns with unexpected company. Most of Disney's movies have been guaranteed hits throughout the decades, but not all of them have had the same luck. From 1985's The Black Cauldron to 2013's The Lone Ranger to 2022's Strange World, multiple Disney films, live-action and animated, have missed the mark with audiences.
In 1991, Disney’s The Rocketeer failed to meet commercial and critical expectations despite being far better than its reputation suggests. Its retrofuturistic hero and memorable score created a distinctive, family-friendly style that has aged remarkably well. Fortunately, Disney's underrated gem didn't completely die with the movie.
The Rocketeer Officially Returns With A New Adventure In 2026
The Rocketeer: The Island #1; Written by John Layman; Art by Jacob Edgar & K.J. Díaz
After a period of absence, Dave Stevens' iconic hero is finally set to return to the spotlight on February 25, 2026. Written by John Layman, The Rocketeer: The Island sees Cliff Secord venture onto a distant land in search for answers about Amelia Earhart's disappearance. Cliff is also set to learn Betty's secrets, and he'll team up with several unexpected allies along the way.
The animated trailer for IDW's The Rocketeer: The Island #1 reveals some of Cliff Secord's new friends. In an unprecedented crossover for the Rocketeer, Cliff Secord crosses paths with none other than Popeye and Tintin, both characters from the public domain who are also having their own adventure on the same island. The island itself may seem familiar to fans of fantastical mysteries, as it may or may not be home to other pop culture icons.
The Rocketeer's Return Is Long Overdue
The Rocketeer Has Always Been On The Verge Of Being A Pop Culture Phenomenon
In the early 1990s, Disney's The Rocketeer movie offered a rare mix of retro-futurism and pulp adventure years before comic book movies and nostalgia-driven blockbusters became the industry norm. The Rocketeer anticipated the modern superhero boom, but arrived too early to fully benefit from it. Otherwise, the Rocketeer's earnest heroism and timeless visual identity make it worthy of a sprawling franchise across film, television, comics, animation, and merchandise.
The Rocketeer has also suffered from prolonged dormancy. Following the lukewarm reception of Disney's 1991 movie adaptation, the Rocketeer remained largely absent from mainstream storytelling. This may finally change with IDW's The Rocketeer: The Island, which can reintroduce the hero to a new era of readers.
The Rocketeer: The Island #1 is available from IDW Publishing on February 25, 2026.
Release Date June 21, 1991
Runtime 108 minutes
Director Joe Johnston
Writers Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, William Dear, Dave Stevens
Producers Charles Gordon, Lawrence Gordon
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Billy Campbell
Cliff Secord
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English (US) ·