History Main / ReimaginingTheArtifact

* Western Union started out in the 1800s as a telegraphing company that did money orders on the side, then in the 1900s it became a money order company that did telegraphs on the side. But by the end of the 20th century, telegraphs had long become obsolete and several retail chains began their own money order services (and e-commerce has caused money orders themselves to wane in relevance as an alternative to checks). In the 21st century, the bulk of their business is in international money transfers, especially to recipients in poorer countries who might not have access to [=PayPal=]. Many ethnic stores in the US offer money transfer services via Western Union for this exact reason.

** The Friendship Reports in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' were originally meant [[AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle as a recap of the episodes events]], but began to be phased out near the end of Season 2 and were practically non-existent in Season 3. In Season 4, the concept was been brought back after the main cast found the Princess' old diary and decided to keep one for themselves.

*** Two of WesternAnimation/TheWuzzles, Rhinokey and Butterbear, appear as giant monsters created by a mystical artifact, the Stone of What Was.

*** Two of WesternAnimation/TheWuzzles, Rhinokey and Butterbear, appear as giant monsters created by a mystical artifact, the Stone of What Was. The [[WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGummiBears Gummi Bears]] ([[WritingAroundTrademarks only referred to as the "Great Ones"]]) existed far in the past, and one episode centers around a younger Scrooge and Mrs. Beakley attempting to prevent a F.O.W.L. agent from getting her hands on the Gummiberry Juice formula.

*** In ''Pathfinder'', many orcs mate with humans willingly... to eventually improve the orcish race and dominate the world.

*** One of WesternAnimation/TheWuzzles, Rhinokey, appears as a giant monster created by a mystical artifact, the Stone of What Was. The [[WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGummiBears Gummi Bears]] ([[WritingAroundTrademarks only referred to as the "Great Ones"]]) existed far in the past, and one episode centers around a younger Scrooge and Mrs. Beakley attempting to prevent a F.O.W.L. agent from getting her hands on the Gummiberry Juice formula.

*** Similarly, WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck is only an old TV show in universe. Then the old actor goes nuts after becoming fed up with the DarkerAndEdgier reboot and turns into this continuity's counterpart of Negaduck, and the actor hired to replace him ends up becoming Darkwing for real (which is helped when several of Darkwing's TV show villains get zapped into the "real" world thanks to a device that can cross dimensions).

** The [[WesternAnimation/ChipNDaleRescueRangers Rescue Rangers]] would invoke FurryConfusion in a world where anthropomorphic animals are human-sized. To go around this, their origins have been reworked as ordinary lab animals [[UpliftedAnimal turned intelligent]] and [[AnthropomorphicTransformation given anthropomorphic forms]] by Black Heron's intelligence ray.

*** Speaking of Tootsie, she is reimagined as completely wild, to correspond with the fact that non-avian dinosaurs did not live with early humans, and behaves more like a real ''Triceratops'', [[AdaptationalVillainy although this makes her hostile towards Bubba and the main cast]]. Her lizard-like appearance from the original show has also been exchanged with that of a warm-blooded animal with the erect legs and a raised tail, thanks to ''Film/JurassicPark'' popularizing the Dinosaur Renaissance.

* In early editions of ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'', there was a [[HalfHumanHybrid half-Eldar]] Ultramarines Librarian by the name of Illiyan Nastase. As the setting developed and the Imperium's attitude of AbsoluteXenophobe was codified Illiyan was quietly dropped for no longer making sense (the Ultramarines would have struggled not kill such a hybrid on sight, let alone induct him into the Chapter) but in the Dark Imperium trilogy an Aeldari Farseer liaison to Roboute Guilliman by the rather similar name of Illiyanne Natase is introduced. The name plus his role working closely with the Ultramarines cast Illiyanne as an attempt to update the Illiyan concept while working with the newer canon.

** The Friendship Reports in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' were originally meant [[AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle as a recap of the episodes events]], but began to be phased out near the end of Season 2 and were practically non-existent in Season 3. In Season 4, the concept was been brought back after the [[FanNickname Mane 6]] found the Princess' old diary and decided to keep one for themselves.

Related to TookALevelInBadass, {{Reconstruction}} (when something similar is done for a trope or genre, rather than a character or concept) and RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap. See also CerebusRetcon, where something similar happens mid-story. Also related to GrandfatherClause, where TheArtifact or DiscreditedTrope is kept in a LongRunner because it's so engrained within the work's mythos that it is impossible to dispose of, but this trope can be used in later installments or adaptations to justify keeping said DiscreditedTrope. May also involve a ReplacementArtifact if something thought to be TheArtifact was first removed, found not to be, and then replaced with a tweaked version.

** Mechagodzilla joins the franchise in the fourth entry ''Film/GodzillaVsKong''. With its original mecha-like form tonally clashing with the grittier, more-grounded Monsterverse, the mechanical monster recieves a full-on redesign more closely resembling military weaponry crossed with the Terminator, and is depicted as a CompositeCharacter with Mecha-King Ghidorah as he is controlled by [[spoiler: Ghidorah's brain]].

* Nicolas Danserau and Stu Grayson (real name Marc Dionne) first came to prominence in Wrestling/{{CHIKARA}} as the video game-themed luchadore tag team "The Super Smash Brothers", calling themselves "Player Uno" and "Player Dos". When they later signed with Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling, they ditched the Super Smash Brothers gimmick, instead developing the new gimmick of "Wrestling/TheDarkOrder"--a shadowy brainwashing {{cult}} under the leadership of a mysterious figure known as "The Exalted One" (eventually revealed to be [[Wrestling/LukeHarper Brodie Lee]]). But as a nod to their previous gimmick, they kept the numerical motif, and Danserau continued to call himself "Uno". To fit it better with the Dark Order's theming, Danserau renamed himself "'''Evil''' Uno", and it was explained that their numerical scheme came from every member of the Dark Order being [[YouAreNumberSix assigned a number]] indicating their rank in the organization relative to the Exalted One, whose rank was "Zero". Uno's ranking was "1", while Grayson's was "2".

** In the 1970s the idea of the Doctor travelling around wildly in space and time had been largely dropped in favour of earthbound stories thanks to the show's {{ReTool}} into a SpyFiction-style show, with the exception of one space jaunt OnceASeason. Season 12, which introduced the Fourth Doctor, went noticeably 'retro', harking back to the Hartnell and Troughton era in terms of tone. Not only do all of the stories (except the first of the season) involve time and space travel, there is a Dalek story written by Hartnell-era writer and Dalek creator Creator/TerryNation ''and'' a Cyberman story written by Hartnell/Troughton-era writer and Cyberman creator Creator/GerryDavis, and a Troughtonesque (but DarkerAndEdgier) "[[TheSiege base under siege]]". The only Pertwee elements are Sarah Jane's continued presence, "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS12E1Robot Robot]]" which was deliberately written as a Pertwee-style story but with the new Doctor in it to show off how different his new personality was, and the Sontarans who reappear as the antagonists in a two-part BottleEpisode to save money on monster costumes.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' took some cues from ''Pathfinder'' in its fifth edition, re-imagining many of the same weird old monsters into something a bit more functional. A good example is the half-orc issue. Second edition ignored the half-orc due to complaints of MoralGuardians, third edition brought them back, but there has been many controversies about half-orcs being potentially children of rape. Subsequent editions and spin-off games portray them differently:
** 4e replaced them initially with Dragonborn as the new 'big guy'. Later, it established that half-orcs have multiple origins, among which there's a project of an army built by hobgoblins to combine the best traits of humans and orcs.
** In ''Pathfinder'', many orcs mate with humans willingly... to eventually improve the orcish race and dominate the world.
** In Thirteenth Age, Orcs arise spontaneously when nature is defiled, and half-orcs are nature's response to that.
** In 5e orcs, unlike goblins, create huge hordes inviting giants, ogres and human barbarians.
** Earlier, Arthaus's 3E Ravenloft products had re-skinned half-orcs as a PC race called "calibans". Real orcs aren't actually native to the setting, but pregnant humans may give birth to calibans if they're exposed to curses or other malign eldritch forces.
** In the earliest editions of D&D, the Githzerai were a highly chaotic race who lived in [[RealityIsOutToLunch Limbo]] because it matched their desire to never be controlled. When ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'' rolled around, the Githzerai character Dak'kon became so popular the entire race was rewritten to follow his general philosophy and be a generally Lawful society with a penchant for being monks. So to explain why a Lawful race would want to live in the most Chaotic plane, it's said that they see Limbo as the ultimate spiritual test... and the place being nigh-impossible to properly invade sure didn't hurt.

* ''Theatre/SpiderManTurnOffTheDark'' had a very TroubledProduction, undergoing a major ReTool after the longest preview period in Broadway history. Presumably to save money, many aspects from the original show, directed by Julie Taymor, were reimagined after she was fired. The most notable is probably [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Arachne]], a CanonForeigner who originally [[CreatorsPet got three songs, usurped Green Goblin as the villain, had a redemption arc and was in a]] LoveTriangle with [[OfficialCouple Peter and Mary Jane]]. Since the Green Goblin was the best-reviewed aspect of Taymor's version, the retrool promoted him to BigBad while Arachne became Peter's spirit guide.

[[folder:Film -- Animated]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/DCShowcaseGreenArrow'', this is done with Green Arrow's infamous boxing glove arrows. The arrow's purpose was to strike the opponent with blunt force, in order to deal a good but non-lethal blow from long range. However, it was too goofy for some to take seriously. Here, they are replaced with cylinders or segments (about the size of the exploding arrowhead) made out of what appears to be vulcanized rubber or something similar as to be able to impact hard without impairing the arrow's flight or looking goofy. In essence, the arrow equivalent of rubber bullets.
[[/folder]]

* The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse:
** ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'' takes the comic-book re-imagining of [[ComicBook/BuckyBarnes Bucky]] one further and makes him a grown man--[[Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier the sequel]] has it that he's actually a year ''older'' than Cap. He's also a ChickMagnet who enlists in the army before Steve does. He does look comparatively younger and [[BadassNormal less intimidating]] next to post-serum Cap, but that's about it.
** In ''Film/IronMan3'', the Mandarin's YellowPeril persona is refitted for the 21st century by having this version of the character [[spoiler: ultimately revealed as an actor hired to play up foreign terrorist stereotypes to cover up for the real mastermind, Aldrich Killian]]. [[spoiler: A short film, ''All Hail the King'', would later reveal that there was an actual Mandarin who was not happy about Slattery posing as him. This true Mandarin would later appear as the lead villain of the 2021 film ''Film/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTenRings''. This iteration also makes it clear that he's never called himself the Mandarin, it was a Western invention that he specifically blames on Killian, even mocking the Westerners who decided to name him after a type of duck/orange just because it's Chinese-sounding]].
** ''Film/DoctorStrange2016'': Wong, for decades an infamous example of EthnicMenialLabor in the comics, is given AdaptationalBadass treatment as [[ComicBook/DoctorStrange Strange]]'s magic instructor and [[TheLancer eventual partner]].
** ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'' updates several aspects that originated in the Sixties but don't really hold up as well fifty years later:
*** Peter's supporting cast used to be [[HumansAreWhite entirely white]] in the initial comics. Several characters from the comics are given a RaceLift because times change, and given New York's status as a cultural melting pot with several immigrant communities it's more plausible for Peter's high school to be ethnically diverse.
*** Aunt May is YoungerAndHipper, which is more plausible in terms of her being Peter's aunt given his young age and the present setting. That and cultural views of a mother figure have aged down considerably. Peter keeping his identity a secret is therefore less about her being physically unable to handle it and more about him not wanting to give her something to worry about when [[WidowWoman she's still mourning the death of Uncle Ben]].
*** Originally, Peter being a nerd made him a social outcast. These days, nerdiness is more mainstream, and Peter's aptitude for science means he attends a [=SciTech=] magnet school. He also has a group of friends and classmates who genuinely like him, including his BestFriend Ned, with his social isolation translating to not being popular in general due to his dorky personality.
*** Michelle "MJ" Jones is a BroadStrokes modern reimagining of ComicBook/MaryJaneWatson. Original MJ was a '60s free spirit, more worldly and social than Peter despite coming from the same working-class background that he did, and was highly liked by fans for being a more modern character than the rest of Peter's gang who were still stuck in a late-50s time-warp. Since much of the context and dynamics have changed, a modern MJ represents a third-wave feminist, social activist common to the millennial generation, which still makes her stand out significantly among her peers, and is also [[RaceLift changed to]] a mixed race girl (played by {{Creator/Zendaya}}).
*** The comics version of Eugene "Flash" Thompson started as a grab-bag of old-timey ideas of how TheBully looked and acted -- i.e. a stereotypical blonde-haired, white-skinned, underwear-yanking meathead JerkJock who played American football a lot. This version of him is changed to a dark-skinned [[RichBitch smug rich kid]] and faux-intellectual NerdyBully who goes after Peter with verbal insults and name-calling, e.g. "Penis Parker". This not only gels better with the changes to Peter's high school setting, but also reflects new understandings of how bullies look and act and the understanding they can come from any walk of life. ''Far from Home'' reveals his FreudianExcuse has been adjusted to fit this new paradigm as well, going from a [[AbusiveParents physically-abusive father]] to [[ParentalNeglect two emotionally-negligent parents]].
** ''Film/{{Black Panther|2018}}'' also slightly alters some aspects:
*** The movie removes M'Baku's [[ComicBookMoviesDontUseCodenames "Man-Ape" pseudonym]] due to the UnfortunateImplications of associating a black man with an ape. Additionally, he [[AdaptationalHeroism is less of a supervillain]] and more of a HeroAntagonist [[spoiler:who [[HeelFaceTurn ultimately sides with T'Challa]] against Killmonger]], while his KillerGorilla motif is updated [[ScienceMarchesOn to be more in line with modern day understanding of gorillas]]; namely, they're generally peaceful unless provoked, which describes M'Baku very well here. Particularly, his first real interaction with Everett Ross, a white American agent who's in Wakanda for relevant reasons, has M'baku and several other Jabari hoot at him like gorillas and threaten to cannibalize him if he interrupts the Wakandans' conversation again, only to laugh off the man-eating ape stereotype a few seconds later and point out that the Jabari are vegetarians, much like real gorillas.
*** For that matter, partly paralleling T'challa's tribe of Wakandans venerating the panther goddess Bast, borrowed from Egyptian mythology, the Jabari venerate the authentic primate god Hanuman, from Hinduism, instead of the fictional (and evil) gorilla god Ghekre.
*** The Dora Milaje in the comics were a group of {{kid sidekick}}s that not only served as his bodyguards, but also served as ceremonial [[WifeHusbandry wives-in-training]] to the ComicBook/BlackPanther. To avoid any UnfortunateImplications involving the hero having a harem made up of girls way younger than him (even if [[YoungerThanTheyLook they don't look like it]] and him never having pursued them romantically), they are simply made his normal bodyguards, are [[AgeLift aged up]] and shown to have their own romantic relationships, such as Okoye dating W'Kabi.
** ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'':
*** ComicBook/{{Mysterio}} is a villain who was widely thought to be a little ''too'' cheesy and gimmicky to be in the MCU, known for making comic book concepts believable, especially with his trademark FishbowlHelmet. Impressively, they managed to pull it off, albeit by making changes to the core concept. [[spoiler:Instead of being a failed actor, he's a former Stark Industries employee who designed the company's cutting-edge "B.A.R.F." hologram system before being fired. His illusions come from said holograms rather than smoke and mirrors, and he relies on a support team of artists and technicians who consider Mysterio a CollectiveIdentity. Even the costume, which is maintained faithfully to the source (fishbowl helmet and all), is lampshaded as being ridiculous; designed by a team of artists specifically to play into Superhero stereotypes.]]
*** TheStinger, following the same vein of logic as [[Film/SpiderManHomecoming its predecessor]] [[spoiler: reimagines ''The Daily Bugle'' - which has been traditionally depicted as a standard newspaper - as a disreputable news website known for resorting to sensationalist news, which was also done previously in ''VideoGame/SpiderManPS4''. The reason for this was that back in the 1960s, more people were more willing to take the news at face value than they were in the 2010s.]]
** ''Film/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTenRings'':
*** In his original comics appearances in the 1970s, ComicBook/ShangChi was established as the heroic son of Literature/FuManchu who rebelled against his father and became a crime-fighter. However, there is a twofold reason why this backstory would not work in the 21st century; Firstly, there is Fu Manchu's reputation as the definitive YellowPeril villain. Secondly, there is how Marvel [[ExiledFromContinuity no longer has the rights to Fu Manchu]]. To do Shang-Chi's characterization as the "heroic son of a villainous father" justice ''and'' work around the lack of the Fu Manchu rights, the movie simply [[RelatedInTheAdaptation has Shang-Chi instead be the son]] of the Mandarin.
*** More on the Mandarin. The other reason why the Mandarin is the BigBad of ''Film/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTenRings'' is because, as was the case with ''Film/IronMan3'', the Mandarin's YellowPeril persona would not resonate well with 21st century audiences, especially if he were to go up against a WhiteMaleLead such as ComicBook/IronMan. However, if the Mandarin [[RoguesGalleryTransplant instead fought]] an Asian lead, then the YellowPeril implications would be considerably mitigated.
*** The writers wrote a list of stereotypes they wanted to avoid with the Mandarin. Notably, he good humoredly mocks the title as people being afraid of an orange. The character is never actually called the Mandarin by anyone in the movie, instead using his name Xu Wenwu.
* ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan'' did some of this:
** Aunt May: In the comics it's hard to imagine changing her, but this, like most 2000s adaptations, ages her down on the grounds that Peter's aunt -- as in, the sister of one of a ''high-schooler's parents'' -- would probably ''not'' be in her nineties.
** Intelligence making you a total outcast is something of an exaggeration of how high school works -- if anything, you'd probably be pretty cool if you could make gadgets like Peter does! As such, rather than ''everyone'' being a dick to Puny Parker, he's fairly popular, though Flash Thompson's still his nemesis 'cause hey, everyone's got an enemy or two.
* ''Film/BatmanForever'' applied this trope to the iconic Robin outfit, which had become a source of some mockery for being a bright red, green, and yellow outfit that contrasts sharply with Batman's black, blue, and grey outfit. The film depicts the traditional Robin outfit as the uniform of the Flying Graysons in the circus, so when Dick Grayson becomes a costumed fighter in his own right, he wears a suit of body armor just like Batman's, but bearing the colors of the circus uniform to honor his family, and the colors are muted and metallic to be less gaudy.

* The version of ComicBook/LexLuthor as seen in ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'' is an attempt at this. When he was created in the 1930s, he was a MadScientist. Once that take got dated in the 1980s, he was changed into an evil businessman evocative of that era. Creator/JohnByrne specifically modeled him on assorted contemporary businessmen during the 1980s. Lex here is meant to be the stereotypical evil businessman of TheNewTens like the guys of the 80s, a millennial tech CEO. He’s [[AgeLift a significantly younger]] science prodigy with [[BunnyEarsLawyer an eccentric, manic personality]], who commands respect despite [[NoSocialSkills being flippant and irreverent to everyone he meets]]. The way he acts can also be seen as a justification for going by the diminutive nickname "Lex", which has long been established as [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname being short for "Alexander"]]. Back in the 1930s, it was [[RuleOfCool a distinctive name with a sinister ring to it]]. Today, writers only really use it because [[TheArtifact it's unthinkable to call him anything else]]. It’s far easier to imagine ''that'' version of the character calling himself "Lex" rather than the now more common "Alex".

* ''Film/WonderWoman2017'' does this with a few elements of ComicBook/WonderWoman lore [[TheArtifact that are kept around today out of tradition]], even if they don't always seem logical.
** Diana's iconic [[CaptainPatriotic star-spangled]] [[LeotardOfPower leotard]] doesn't exactly mesh well with the elements of Myth/GreekMythology that are so central to the mythos these days, but she still wears it because it's unthinkable to have her wearing anything else. The movie's version generally keeps the design and color scheme of her classic costume, but it nixes the star motif and replaces the white trim with gold trim, making it look more like an exceptionally colorful suit of Greek armor than a patriotic get-up. Her chest emblem is also reimagined as a winged eagle design that just happens to be W-shaped, preventing any questions about why an Amazon princess [[BroughtToYouByTheLetterS wears the letter "W" on her armor]]. [[note]] Since, y'know...there's no "W" in the Greek alphabet. Mind you, this is OlderThanTheyThink, as the [[https://sm.ign.com/t/ign_ap/screenshot/t/the-early-/the-early-wonder-woman-stories-established-a-distinct-look-f_8m6t.1080.jpg original Golden Age costume]] had an eagle on the chest whose wings were ''not'' posed to look like the letter W. It got more W-like until the [[https://sm.ign.com/t/ign_ap/screenshot/d/dc-eventua/dc-eventually-restored-wonder-woman-to-a-more-normal-status_6yfn.1080.jpg eagle head vanished and it was just straight up a letter "W"]] for the look that would last from the 70s until the eagle head returned in the 2000s. Still, the point remains - where once she basically wore an American flag for no discernible reason, the movie outfit makes the classic costume into something that befits an ancient Greek warrior while keeping everything that's important to the overall look, and it's even become her default comic look.[[/note]]
** Steve Trevor is a good example of a character [[TheArtifact who used to be integral to the mythos, but often feels out-of-place in modern stories as the writers don't always know what to do with him]]. Since the Golden Age, many writers have waffled on whether he's Diana's boyfriend or just [[TheBrigadier her contact in the military]], and the nature of ComicBookTime means that he can't always keep his original backstory as an Army Air Corps pilot who met Diana during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. [[note]] Case in point: he was killed off and brought back several times during the Silver Age, the Bronze Age version [[AgeLift made him several decades older than Diana]], the post-''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'' version married him off to Etta Candy, and the ComicBook/New52 version made him a young government agent who's merely assigned to Diana as her "handler".[[/note]] The movie sidesteps the issue by [[spoiler: having him [[DeathByOriginStory die]] in a HeroicSacrifice at the end of the movie]], thus making him integral to Diana's origin without having to explain how he's relevant to her life in the modern era.
* ''Film/Aquaman2018'' revels in this, emphasizing and working with the sillier elements of the Aquaman mythos to its benefit.
** Black Manta's classic bubble-head deep sea diver design has been a difficult thing to process in the modern era, coming across as a silly, impractical top heavy look. This film shows Kane building the suit from scratch, adapting Atlantean weaponry alongside his own high tech armor designs, and specifically making the helmet huge so that it could fire a {{BFG}} plasma blast without frying his own head. When he finally shows up he is almost a WalkingTank, believably fighting Arthur on even footing.
** Aquaman and Ocean Master aren't just aliases, they're official royal titles; Aquaman being the title for the king of Atlantis and Ocean Master being the title for the supreme military leader of all of the underwater kingdoms, something similar to the title of dictator in Ancient Rome.
** The iconic orange and green costume from the comics returns, but is now a suit of fish scale armor with a more chain-mail like texture and golden appearance, as befits a king.

* ''{{Series/Arrow}}'', like the Green Arrow Comic Book examples above, replaced campy Boxing Glove Arrows with high-tech rubber-tipped projectiles. In one episode, though, Oliver does fire an arrow with a boxing glove on the end. But instead of being a pre-prepared gadget, it becomes a hastily-improvised method to incapacitate a fairly skilled opponent, and is only possible because they're fighting at a ''boxing gym'' in the first place. It manages to make an homage to the sillier aspects of the character's history into a believable IndyPloy.
* Zig-zagged with ''Series/TheFlash2014'' when it comes to Barry Allen's suit. It is adapted from a high-tech firefighting suit that STAR Labs had in development, giving a plausible reason for the red color as well as the close fit and heat-and-friction-resistant properties. However, adding the Lightning Bolt insignia to the chest and earpieces is explicitly an invocation of the RuleOfCool by Cisco - when asked why he's adding them, he simply replies "So it's not boring".

* Similar to the above Apache Chief/Manitou Raven example, the campy characters original to the old ''WesternAnimation/{{Superfriends}}'' show were re-imagined as the Ultimen and given a tragic arc in an episode of the Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' series.
* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice:''
** The show reimagines sidekicks/young partners for superheroes. Batman points out a rather practical reason to do this: because nobody takes them seriously, they're much better suited to covert operations. After all, if the heroes are all fighting the giant MonsterOfTheWeek, surely there's nobody else to worry about?
** ''Invasion'' also did a more serious, respectful take on Apache Chief and several other of the "[[CaptainEthnic Affirmative Action]]" Super Friends. Samurai and El Dorado became [[GenderFlip Asami "Sam" Koizumi]] and Eduardo "Ed" Dorado, losing their stereotypical costumes and quirks in the process, while Black Vulcan is replaced with the already-established Comicbook/{{Static}}. Apache Chief's popular for this. The ''Young Justice'' version is even named for and voiced by the same guy as his ''Justice League'' counterpart. (However, Longshadow is actually his last name, as opposed to Long Shadow as a codename.)
* ''WesternAnimation/BewareTheBatman'' uses the D-list and '''extremely''' [[https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Margaret_Pye_(New_Earth) 80s villain Magpie]] as a recurring character, but she's been given a 21st century makeover so that she now resembles a flashy, modern pop starlet like Music/LadyGaga rather than a hair metal groupie.
* The original Mad Mod was a FadSuper. The version of the character in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' justifies his dated pop-culture references and basis by having him be an old man who uses holograms to make himself appear young.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' features a reimagined version of Ace the Bat-Hound, a loyal masked [[GratuitousAnimalSidekick dog sidekick]] that Batman had during the campy Silver Age, when animal sidekicks were something of a fad in comics. But instead of taking him as a sidekick, Bruce simply adopts Ace after he retires from crime-fighting, and Ace gives the elderly Bruce some much-needed companionship, with Alfred dead and Bruce having fallen out of touch with his old friends from his days as Batman.
** However, Ace is still just as [[ActionPet badass]] and [[HeroicDog heroic]] as his predecessor. An episode centered around Ace reveals the Great Dane spent his early years forced into dog-fighting. When he was fully-grown, he managed to escape and was rescued and adopted by Bruce. The episode in question starts when Ace recognizes the scent of his former handler, causing him to chase him down. This leads Terry to find Ace and the two bust the dog-fighting ring, with Ace even saving Terry from the mutated dog the criminal had made. Ace has helped Terry a few more times, even against [[spoiler: the Joker when he comes back.]] Good bat dog indeed.
* The idea of a wrestler taking random challenges from the crowd might just about have been plausible when ComicBook/SpiderMan's origin was written in 1962, but creators since then have just had to barrel through it and hope nobody asks questions. ''WesternAnimation/MarvelsSpiderMan'' makes an attempt at bringing it into the 21st century by suggesting it's not a normal wrestling event but a RealityShow called ''So You Want to be a Wrestler?'' (It's still unlikely Spidey could just turn up, not give his real name, and end up wrestling the champ -- [[ProWrestlingIsReal for real]] -- the same day, but the basic premise is there.)
** Also, the live-action movies had it as a much seedier affair that clearly isn't playing by any rules.

*** Peter's supporting cast used to be [[HumansAreWhite entirely white]] in the initial comics. Several characters from the comics are given a RaceLift because SocietyMarchesOn and given New York's status as a cultural melting pot with several immigrant communities it's more plausible for Peter's high school to be ethnically diverse.

** In ''Film/IronMan3'', the Mandarin's YellowPeril persona is refitted for the 21st century by having this version of the character [[spoiler: ultimately revealed as an actor hired to play up foreign terrorist stereotypes to cover up for the real mastermind, Aldrich Killian]]. [[spoiler: A short film, ''All Hail the King'', would later reveal that there was an actual Mandarin who was not happy about Slattery posing as him. This true Mandarin would later appear as the lead villain of the 2021 film ''Film/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTenRings''. This iteration also makes it clear that he's has never called himself the Mandarin, it was a Western invention that he specifically blames on Killian, even mocking the Westerners who decided to name him after a type of duck/orange just because it's Chinese-sounding]].

*** The movie removes M'Baku's [[ComicBookMoviesDontUseCodenames "Man-Ape" pseudonym]] due to the UnfortunateImplications of associating a black man with an ape. Additionally, he [[AdaptationalHeroism is less of a supervillain]] and more of a HeroAntagonist [[spoiler:who [[HeelFaceTurn ultimately sides with T'Challa]] against Killmonger]], while his KillerGorilla motif is updated [[ScienceMarchesOn to be more in line with modern day understanding of gorillas]]; namely that they are vegetarians and generally peaceful unless provoked (which describes M'Baku very well here). Particularly, his first real interaction with Everett Ross, a white American agent who's in Wakanda for relevant reasons, has M'baku and several other Jabari hoot at him like gorillas and threaten to cannibalize him if he interrupts the Wakandans' conversation again, only to laugh off the man-eating ape stereotype a few seconds later and point out that the Jabari are vegetarians, much like real gorillas.

** In ''Pathfinde'', many orcs mate with humans willingly... to eventually improve the orcish race and dominate the world.

* ''Theatre/SpiderManTurnOffTheDark'' had a very TroubledProduction, undergoing a major ReTool after the longest preview period in Broadway history. Many factors from the original show, directed Julie Taymor, were reimagined after she was fired. The most notable is probably [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Arachne]], a CanonForeigner who [[CreatorsPet gets three songs, usurps Green Goblin as the villain, has a redemption arc and is in a]] LoveTriangle with [[OfficialCouple Peter and Mary Jane]]. Eventually Taymor was fired, the Green Goblin (the best-reviewed aspect of her version) was promoted to BigBad and Arachne became Peter's spirit guide instead.

** As an example, consider the Cutie Mark Crusaders, consisting of Apple Bloom, Swetie Belle, and Scootaloo. They spend half of the series trying to obtain their Cutie Marks. Despite showing many, ''many'' talents, they finally earned them in Season 5, and soon discover their purpose of helping other ponies discover theirs.

** ''Invasion'' also did a more serious, respectful take on Apache Chief and several other of the "[[CaptainEthnic Affirmative Action]]" Super Friends. Samurai and El Dorado became [[GenderFlip Asami "Sam" Koizumi]] and Eduardo "Ed" Dorado, losing their stereotypical costumes and quirks in the process. Apache Chief's popular for this. The ''Young Justice'' version is even named for and voiced by the same guy as his ''Justice League'' counterpart. (However, Longshadow is actually his last name, as opposed to Long Shadow as a codename.)

*** The movie removes M'Baku's [[ComicBookMoviesDontUseCodenames "Man-Ape" pseudonym]] due to the UnfortunateImplications of associating a black man with an ape. Additionally, he [[AdaptationalHeroism is less of a supervillain]] and more of a HeroAntagonist [[spoiler:who [[HeelFaceTurn ultimately sides with T'Challa]] against Killmonger]], while his KillerGorilla motif is updated [[ScienceMarchesOn to be more in line with modern day understanding of gorillas]]; namely that they are vegetarians and generally peaceful unless provoked (which describes M'Baku very well here).

** In ''Film/IronMan3'', the Mandarin's YellowPeril persona is refitted for the 21st century by having this version of the character [[spoiler: ultimately revealed as an actor hired to play up foreign terrorist stereotypes to cover up for the real mastermind, Aldrich Killian]]. [[spoiler: A short film, ''All Hail the King'', would later reveal that there was an actual Mandarin who was not happy about Slattery posing as him. This true Mandarin would later appear as the lead villain of the 2021 film ''Film/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTenRings''.]]