History Main / RevisitingTheRoots

* The Oxford Movement in the Church of England was a theological movement whose ranks included John Keble, Edward Bouverie Pusey, Charles Marriott, and Creator/JohnHenryNewman. It is said to have started on 14 July 1833, when Rev. Keble preached an Assize Sermon, "[[http://anglicanhistory.org/keble/keble1.html National Apostasy]]". It incorporates many pre-Reformation practices, aiming to defend the Church of England as a divinely founded institution that is not Protestant in origin but rather a branch of the pre-Schism Church in history, alongside the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. The movement also expounded its views in a series of tracts called ''Tracts for the Times'', also earning the name "Tractarians". Critics have always suspected the Oxford Movement of having a "Romanising" tendency, and the fact that Newman, one of the Oxford Movement's most prominent advocates, left the Church of England to join the Catholic served to exacerbate these claims.

* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'': Every so often, when the main members of the RoguesGallery just can't come up with particularly good ideas for capers and run-of-the-mill street crime in Gotham City spikes upward, Batman will be called upon to beat down ordinary muggers and two-bit murderers. This never seems to bore Batman, however, but to strengthen his resolve: it reminds him how his lifelong quest began in the first place.
-->'''Batman:''' (''to a mugger as he handcuffs him'') Slime like you made me... I owe you.
** Grant Morrison again in their run on ''ComicBook/{{Batman|GrantMorrison}}''. Remember back in the Silver Age, when Batman made a social club for all his international imitators? Or when he participated in a psychological isolation experiment for NASA? Or when a female socialite became Batwoman to try and get his attention? Grant did, and they reminded us all.

* ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'': Creator/AlEwing's ''The ComicBook/ImmortalHulk''; not only is Bruce Banner WalkingTheEarth once again, but the book revisits the horror tone of the earliest Hulk comics. Instead of the "wounded child" or "bar-room brawler" interpretations, this Hulk is a smirking monster who enjoys taunting people about their unspeakable desires. And he only hulks out at night. [[spoiler:Additionally, it was retconned that the Immortal Hulk is the true form of the Devil Hulk--and relevant to this trope, the Devil/Immortal Hulk is actually the Hulk seen in Banner's first few appearances.]]

* ''ComicBook/SubMariner'': The 2008 miniseries ''Sub-Mariner: The Depths'' was an attempt at bringing Namor back to his original Golden Age roots, where he was a murderous VillainProtagonist instead of the JerkAss [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor Revolving Door]] AntiHero he's best known as today. The mini-series was basically a horror story and PsychologicalThriller rather than a superhero tale, with Namor depicted in a manner similar to Franchise/{{Godzilla}} or the shark from ''Film/{{Jaws}}''. Curiously, Namor [[spoiler: saves Dr. Stein]] at the end and brings him back to the surface, rather than killing him. It's implied that Namor did this because [[spoiler: Stein is famous for providing rational explanations for unsolved mysteries, such as the Yeti, and ultimately he does so with Atlantis, declaring that it doesn't exist even though it does, with footage of it being recorded.]]
* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'':
** Creator/GrantMorrison's ''ComicBook/ActionComics'' run from the ComicBook/New52 was based around doing this for Superman. Like in the original [[MediaNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] stories, their Superman was physically weaker and had an AntiHero streak, as well as a strong inclination towards social justice. This was justified by having their stories be a {{Prequel}} of sorts, showing Superman as a brash, young idealist.
** The storyline ''ComicBook/KryptoniteNevermore'' was an attempt by returning Superman to his [[MediaNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] roots as a weaker but wiser and more human character.
* ''ComicBook/UltimateXMen'': The mainstream Magneto started as a completely evil villain with no redeeming qualities. He was turned into a morally complex, ambiguous figure later on. Here, he's back to the roots, as nothing more than a repugnant mutant supremacist and genocidal maniac.
* ''ComicBook/XMen'': Creator/GrantMorrison's ''ComicBook/NewXMen'' did this for the X-Men comics. It's one of the few modern ''X-Men'' runs that takes most of its cues from Creator/StanLee and Creator/JackKirby's earliest ''X-Men'' stories from the '60s, rather than Creator/ChrisClaremont and Creator/JohnByrne's stories from the '70s and '80s ([[MyRealDaddy which influenced most later writers]]). As such: the story sees the X-Men becoming teachers and mentors for a new generation of teenage mutants after the truth about the Xavier Institute is finally revealed to the world, hearkening back to the series' origins as a teen-focused series set at a {{boarding school}} for young mutants. There are [[FiveManBand five core X-Men]], and they wear matching costumes once again. It's relatively light on action and {{spectacle}}, generally portraying various mutants' powers as more ''weird'' than cool, recalling the X-Men's origins as ''[[{{Tagline}} "The strangest super-heroes of all!"]]''. More controversially: Morrison's interpretation of ComicBook/{{Magneto}} returns the character to his roots as a deranged megalomaniac with zero redeeming qualities (mostly disregarding his years as a tormented WellIntentionedExtremist). [[note]]Due to this development being met with a mixed reaction, the Magneto who appears in the series was later {{retcon}}ned as an imposter.[[/note]]

* ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'' undid the slightly more grounded feel and the established continuity of the first three or so films. This had the advantage of restoring much of the original status quo and introducing various elements more familiar to the fans of the comics or cartoon, like Xavier's hover wheelchair and the Sentinels. The trend continued in ''Film/XMenApocalypse'', which looked at the team's pre-adult life and gave them their iconic costumes.

* ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'' features much of this approach to Franchise/{{Batman}}.
** Like his earliest appearances, Batman's main clash is against the mob and corruption in Gotham with only very sparse supernatural elements, many of his gadgets are less explicitly bat-themed and he operates mostly solo, without a ComicBook/{{Robin}}.
** His villains are also strongly influenced by their original depictions in the comics: ComicBook/TwoFace is without a split personality, ComicBook/{{Bane}} is portrayed as the GeniusBruiser he was in his [[ComicBook/{{Knightfall}} original appearance]], and Creator/HeathLedger and Creator/AnneHathaway were reported to have studied ''The Man Who Laughs'' and actress Hedy Lamarr, the inspiration for their [[ComicBook/{{Joker}} respective]] [[ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} characters]].

* ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' in its fifth season made a conscious effort to return to being the gritty crime drama and "street-level show" it was in the first (and to a lesser extent, second) season, after two seasons of introducing sci-fi and mystical elements to the show in order to help establish the [[Series/{{Arrowverse}} shared universe]]. Notable changes include a renewed focus on the organized crime element in Star City and Green Arrow abandoning his strict policy of ThouShaltNotKill, making him once again the lethal vigilante he was early in the show. Furthermore, the BigBad of this season, Prometheus, is a skilled archer and BadassNormal more akin to Season One BigBad Malcolm Merlyn than the nemeses of subsequent seasons. Also, [[spoiler: Prometheus' origin is tied to Oliver's actions during Season One and is connected to the List, another early element of the show which has now been made relevant again]].

* After Creator/ChristopherNolan's ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'' showed us just how Batman might work in a serious, modernized setting, ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamSeries'' reintroduced us to the dark, anachronistic Gotham and corny-but-not-to-be-trifled-with villains we got to know from the Creator/TimBurton [[Film/Batman1989 mov]][[Film/BatmanReturns ies]] and [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries the animated series]]. Then Zig-Zagged, as [[VideoGame/BatmanArkhamOrigins the prequel game]] took more cues from Nolan.

* The first two seasons of ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution'' are essentially this for the ''Franchise/XMen'' mythos, returning to the original premise of the comics: a HighSchool drama about teenage mutants learning to control their powers while [[ComingOfAgeStory dealing with the typical struggles of growing up]].
* While ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'' took a lot of aspects from across Spidey's canon, it specifically drew many storylines and plotlines from ''[[ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManLeeAndDitko The Amazing Spider-Man]]'': making it very much a high school drama, with [[GirlNextDoor Gwen Stacy]] and [[LovableAlphaBitch Liz Allan]] appearing before [[FunPersonified Mary Jane]] for the spot of Peter's main {{Love Interest}}s (and returning the latter to her original aloof and independent party-girl personality while making her Peter and Gwen's friend and who would have became the main love interest had the show continued, especially since Peter's other relationships with Liz and Gwen end on a low note by Season 2. The show is even credited as "created by" Creator/StanLee and Creator/SteveDitko, and only "adapted" by Creator/GregWeisman and Victor Cook.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'' started out doing its own thing with the Bat-mythos, but gradually, that got into more familiar territory: introducing Batgirl and Robin, giving Bats his signature LanternJawOfJustice (possibly to indicate aging), replacing Marion Grange with Hamilton Hill (who would be more familiar to the viewers of [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries the previous animated Batman series]]) and playing down the new stylized designs of the villains.
* After decades of dark, serious ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' stories, ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' revived the goofy silliness of the [[MediaNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] stories.

* Season 3 of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' takes many cues from the earliest ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' stories from the [[MediaNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] as well as, to an extent, ''WesternAnimation/SuperFriends'', in marked contrast to earlier seasons, which were mainly based on more recent [[MediaNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Age]] stories. Most notably, the first episode features the League establishing the Metrotower on Earth (a building heavily modeled on the Hall of Justice) as a second base in addition to the Watchtower, and continues the story with a fugitive ComicBook/LexLuthor joining the new Secret Society (which is very much modeled after the LegionOfDoom; they would've called it the Legion outright [[ExecutiveMeddling had some DC higher-up decided they couldn't use the term]]) after [[spoiler:having his many crimes exposed]]. Overlaps with DeconReconSwitch; the season spends much time [[{{Reconstruction}} reconstructing]] the same SuperheroTropes that the previous season [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstructed]], returning to the light-hearted and optimistic tone of early ''League'' stories.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' zigzags this by having double-length episodes be similar in scale and tone to the adventure stories that were seen in the first generation of the [[Franchise/MyLittlePony franchise]], while a majority of episodes consist of the SliceOfLife seen in most other ''MLP'' shows.

** The Buu saga of ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' tries to mix the subversive humor from the series' early days with its existing FightingSeries style. Said humor was always present, but started taking a backseat once Piccolo Daimao showed up. Its implementation in the Buu Arc is generally mixed, since it results in a lot of MoodWhiplash.
** This was also attempted with the beginning of ''Anime/DragonBallGT'', but bad reception (and a lack of story direction) lead to it being steered back to something closer to the Villain Arcs from ''Z''. As a result of this, the initial US broadcast and home video release skipped the first 16 episodes, condensing the more important things into a recap episode.

** Creator/GrantMorrison's ''ComicBook/ActionComics'' run from the ComicBook/New52 was based around doing this for Superman. Like in the original [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] stories, their Superman was physically weaker and had an AntiHero streak, as well as a strong inclination towards social justice. This was justified by having their stories be a {{Prequel}} of sorts, showing Superman as a brash, young idealist.
** The storyline ''ComicBook/KryptoniteNevermore'' was an attempt by returning Superman to his [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] roots as a weaker but wiser and more human character.

* After decades of dark, serious ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' stories, ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' revived the goofy silliness of the [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] stories.

* Season 3 of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' takes many cues from the earliest ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' stories from the [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] as well as, to an extent, ''WesternAnimation/SuperFriends'', in marked contrast to earlier seasons, which were mainly based on more recent [[UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Age]] stories. Most notably, the first episode features the League establishing the Metrotower on Earth (a building heavily modeled on the Hall of Justice) as a second base in addition to the Watchtower, and continues the story with a fugitive ComicBook/LexLuthor joining the new Secret Society (which is very much modeled after the LegionOfDoom; they would've called it the Legion outright [[ExecutiveMeddling had some DC higher-up decided they couldn't use the term]]) after [[spoiler:having his many crimes exposed]]. Overlaps with DeconReconSwitch; the season spends much time [[{{Reconstruction}} reconstructing]] the same SuperheroTropes that the previous season [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstructed]], returning to the light-hearted and optimistic tone of early ''League'' stories.

** In TheSeventies, the founders of PunkRock set out to get rock music back to its scrappy, guitar band roots, feeling that the rise of ProgressiveRock had made the genre inaccessible and obtuse. To quote [[Music/{{TheRamones}} Tommy Ramone]]:

** Half of the premise of ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' is that Sonic from the Classic era games is brought forward in time to the present, and also marks the first time Sonic's original design from that era is used in a new game. Classic Sonic plays very close to the original games, much closer than in ''Sonic 4'', and is near indistinguishable in the [[UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS 3DS]] version.
** The second direct attempt at going back to the roots was made with ''VideoGame/SonicMania'', built from Christian Whitehead's Retro Engine to replicate 1:1 the classic Sonic physics; designed by long-time fans and modders, the game was a mix of redesigned classic stages with new ones. Going the full {{retraux}} route of having 32-bit sprites reminiscent of the 16-bit sprites of the Genesis games (imagining what a 2D Sonic game would look like on the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn), exclusively using the original designs, and billing itself as a direct sequel to ''VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles'' (and thus knocking ''Sonic 4'' into CanonDiscontinuity[[note]]Well [[SubvertedTrope not entirely]], as the events of ''Mania'' are later revealed in ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' and WordOfGod to have occurred in an AlternateTimeline, meaning the events of ''Sonic 4'' still happened in the main universe[[/note]]).

** ''VideoGame/MegaMan9'' and ''VideoGame/MegaMan10'': By that time, ''Mega Man'' games had complex storylines and complicated gameplay. These two games kept their plots simple and played almost exactly like an extension of ''VideoGame/MegaMan2'', even keeping the UsefulNotes/{{NES}} appearance. In fact, these two games were designed by the same people who made the original ''VideoGame/{{Mega Man|Classic}}'' games.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds'' was a return to the 2D roots of the series after years spent refining the mechanics of the 3D iterations of the series, and the experimental 2.5D games for UsefulNotes/NintendoDS. It also harkens back to the much more non-linear titles of the franchise's early years, going so far as to reintroduce two concepts (buying a quest-important items outside of dungeons and the ability to enter dungeons in any order) that hadn't been seen since the [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI very first game]]. And the title, of course, is deliberately evocative of the Super Nintendo-era ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast A Link to the Past]]'', as are the visual style and TheOverworld.

* After struggling with the difficult-to-program and (initially) overpriced UsefulNotes/PlayStation3, many people have observed that Sony's strategy with the UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 returns to the principles that made the original [=PlayStation=] so successful, such as a developer-friendly system architecture and a competitive price point. This is alluded to by Mark Cerny in a press conference; since the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, Sony's architecture got progressively harder to work with and games took longer to develop for them. With the [=PlayStation=] 4's architectual simplicity, they returned to the swiftness of the original [=PlayStation=].

* ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesShreddersRevenge'' differs from other modern ''[[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles TMNT]]'' games by being based on [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 the classic 1987 cartoon]], rather [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 than]] [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012 recent]] [[WesternAnimation/RiseOfTheTeenageMutantNinjaTurtles series]] or [[ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIDW the IDW comic]], something that hadn't been done in decades since ''[[VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTournamentFighters Tournament Fighters]]''. In addition, the gameplay goes back to the Turtles being individually selectable, rather than grouped-up at all times. Furthermore, it's in 16-bit graphics like the classic side-scrolling Creator/{{Konami}} beat 'em ups that it is patterned after (most particularly ''[[VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTheArcadeGame The Arcade Game]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTurtlesInTime Turtles In Time]]''), but with even punchier animations and a more dynamic art style (helped by the staff having previously worked on ''VideoGame/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorldTheGame'' and the 2007 ''WesternAnimation/{{TMNT}}'' UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance game).
* Kazunori "Kaz" Yamauchi, the lead producer on the ''VideoGame/GranTurismo'' series, has [[https://www.gtplanet.net/new-gran-turismo-7-details-ps4-vs-ps5-driving-physics-gt-cafe-and-more-revealed-in-kazunori-yamauchi-interview/ described]] ''Gran Turismo 7'', the series' UsefulNotes/PlayStation5 debut, as a return to the "[=CarPG=]" style of the older games in the series. ''Gran Turismo Sport'', the series' lone UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 entry, diverged heavily from series tradition by largely jettisoning most of the single-player mode and most of the tuning in favor of a focus on online multiplayer and e-sports, a move that was widely criticized by longtime fans who saw the series' appeal laying as much in [[GottaCatchEmAll collecting]] and tuning {{Cool Car}}s as in racing them. ''[=GT7=]'' keeps the online multiplayer, but also brings back a massive single-player mode comparable to the older games in the series.

* After decades of dark, serious ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' stories, ''Westernanimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' revived the goofy silliness of the [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] stories.

* Every so often, when the main members of the RoguesGallery just can't come up with particularly good ideas for capers and run-of-the-mill street crime in Gotham City spikes upward, Franchise/{{Batman}} will be called upon to beat down ordinary muggers and two-bit murderers. This never seems to bore Batman, however, but to strengthen his resolve: it reminds him how his lifelong quest began in the first place.

* Creator/GrantMorrison's ''ComicBook/ActionComics'' run from the ComicBook/New52 was based around doing this for ComicBook/{{Superman}}. Like in the original [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] stories, their Superman was physically weaker and had an AntiHero streak, as well as a strong inclination towards social justice. This was justified by having their stories be a {{Prequel}} of sorts, showing Superman as a brash, young idealist.
* Grant Morrison again in their run on ''ComicBook/{{Batman|GrantMorrison}}''. Remember back in the Silver Age, when Batman made a social club for all his international imitators? Or when he participated in a psychological isolation experiment for NASA? Or when a female socialite became Batwoman to try and get his attention? Grant did, and they reminded us all.
* Creator/GrantMorrison's ''ComicBook/NewXMen'' also did this for the ''ComicBook/XMen'' comics. It's one of the few modern ''X-Men'' runs that takes most of its cues from Creator/StanLee and Creator/JackKirby's earliest ''X-Men'' stories from the '60s, rather than Creator/ChrisClaremont and Creator/JohnByrne's stories from the '70s and '80s ([[MyRealDaddy which influenced most later writers]]). As such: the story sees the X-Men becoming teachers and mentors for a new generation of teenage mutants after the truth about the Xavier Institute is finally revealed to the world, hearkening back to the series' origins as a teen-focused series set at a {{boarding school}} for young mutants. There are [[FiveManBand five core X-Men]], and they wear matching costumes once again. It's relatively light on action and {{spectacle}}, generally portraying various mutants' powers as more ''weird'' than cool, recalling the X-Men's origins as ''[[{{Tagline}} "The strangest super-heroes of all!"]]''. More controversially: Morrison's interpretation of ComicBook/{{Magneto}} returns the character to his roots as a deranged megalomaniac with zero redeeming qualities (mostly disregarding his years as a tormented WellIntentionedExtremist). [[note]]Due to this development being met with a mixed reaction, the Magneto who appears in the series was later {{retcon}}ned as an imposter.[[/note]]
* ''ComicBook/ScoobyDooTeamUp'' does this with a lot of the characters Mystery Inc. team up with, playing their premises relatively straight while keeping a light, comedic tone to the stories. ''WesternAnimation/SpaceGhost'' for instance, is portrayed as TheCape like he was in his original series instead of the bumbling egomaniac ''WesternAnimation/SpaceGhostCoastToCoast'' portrayed him as, while still poking fun at his sidekicks constantly being kidnapped by his foes.
* The 2008 miniseries ''ComicBook/SubMariner: The Depths'' was an attempt at bringing Namor back to his original Golden Age roots, where he was a murderous VillainProtagonist instead of the JerkAss [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor Revolving Door]] AntiHero he's best known as today. The mini-series was basically a horror story and PsychologicalThriller rather than a superhero tale, with Namor depicted in a manner similar to Franchise/{{Godzilla}} or the shark from ''Film/{{Jaws}}''. Curiously, Namor [[spoiler: saves Dr. Stein]] at the end and brings him back to the surface, rather than killing him. It's implied that Namor did this because [[spoiler: Stein is famous for providing rational explanations for unsolved mysteries, such as the Yeti, and ultimately he does so with Atlantis, declaring that it doesn't exist even though it does, with footage of it being recorded.]]
* ''ComicBook/StarWarsDarthVader'' (a SpinOff of ''ComicBook/StarWarsMarvel2015'') notably takes most of its cues from Darth Vader's original portrayal in [[Film/ANewHope the original]] ''Franchise/StarWars'' rather than his more famous and iconic portrayal in ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack''. Before ''The Empire Strikes Back'' established Vader as Emperor Palpatine's unchallenged, [[TheDreaded universally feared]] apprentice and [[TheDragon right-hand man]], the original ''Star Wars'' portrayed him as merely a high-ranking [[TheBrute enforcer]] in the Imperial military who was outranked by Grand Moff Tarkin, and occasionally had to deal with insubordinate officers (like Conan Antonio Motti) who weren't afraid to challenge him to his face. While most ''Star Wars'' works treat those details as EarlyInstallmentWeirdness, the miniseries takes them and runs with them: Vader is portrayed as being outranked by Cassio Tagge, it's suggested that he isn't the Emperor's only apprentice, and most of the plot revolves around him dealing with cloak-and-dagger plots by ambitious Imperial officers who would happily [[TheStarscream take his position]]. [[spoiler: The SeriesFinale has Vader getting a massive promotion and being given command of his own flagship, finally bringing him to the status quo most people remember. The series is essentially the story of ''how'' Darth Vader became the badass, unchallenged [[TheDragon Dragon]] that most people remember from ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack''.]]
* The Creator/HannaBarbera action hero lineup[[note]]discounting their '80s-'90s entries, like ''WesternAnimation/GaltarAndTheGoldenLance'', ''WesternAnimation/ThePiratesOfDarkWater'', and ''WesternAnimation/SwatKats''[[/note]] has spent many more years as [[WesternAnimation/SpaceGhostCoastToCoast parodies]] [[WesternAnimation/HarveyBirdmanAttorneyAtLaw of]] [[WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers themselves]] than they spent as actual action heroes. ''ComicBook/FutureQuest'' is possibly the most notable return to the characters' original premises in over two decades.
* Creator/AlEwing's ''The ComicBook/ImmortalHulk''; not only is Bruce Banner WalkingTheEarth once again, but the book revisits the horror tone of the earliest Hulk comics. Instead of the "wounded child" or "bar-room brawler" interpretations, this Hulk is a smirking monster who enjoys taunting people about their unspeakable desires. And he only hulks out at night. [[spoiler:Additionally, it was retconned that the Immortal Hulk is the true form of the Devil Hulk--and relevant to this trope, the Devil/Immortal Hulk is actually the Hulk seen in Banner's first few appearances.]]
* The Franchise/{{Superman}} storyline ''ComicBook/KryptoniteNevermore'' was an attempt by returning the character to his [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] roots as a weaker but wiser and more human character.

** ''Series/UltramanBlazar'': This series drops many of the traditions developed in the modern series. Where the last decade of Ultramen tended to draw their powers from previous heroes and occasionally see some return as special guest stars, ''Blazar'' has ''no'' legacy crossover elements from earlier series and is completely standalone. The majority of kaiju are also brand new, instead of relying on bringing back old favorites. And most of the flashier just-for-style elements like elaborate {{Invocation}}s and scenes of the hero "inside" Ultraman's mindspace [[MerchandiseDriven using the toyetic gadgets]] are either minimized or ditched entirely.

** ''Series/UltramanMax'' (2005) for the ''Franchise/UltraSeries''. After ''Series/UltramanNexus'' proved to be [[ScrewedByTheNetwork a ratings bomb]] in its attempt to completely reboot the franchise in a DarkerAndEdgier manner, ''Ultraman Max'' returned to the franchise's roots of simple but exciting adventures against kaiju and aliens, maintaining a lighthearted and optimistic tone even when delving into serious matters, and producing numerous homages to the original series: ''Series/{{Ultraman}}'', ''Series/UltraQ'', and ''Series/{{Ultraseven}}''.

** ''Series/UltramanTriggerNewGenerationTiga'': Like ''Ultraman X'' before it, the show is pretty disconnected from the M78 Universe, instead opting to base itself on a self-contained plot involving only inhabitants of its universe though there are connections to past series they're instead geared for the [[Series/UltramanTiga Neo Frontier]] [[Series/UltramanDyna Universe]] both of which the series commemorates. It also brings back a proper attack team after the more mundane support teams since ''Orb''.

* ''Series/OnceUponATime'' spent Seasons 2 through 5 pitting the heroes against all manner of villains, including Literature/PeterPan, Literature/TheSnowQueen, [[Myth/GreekMythology Hades]], and [[Literature/TheStrangeCaseOfDoctorJekyllAndMrHyde Mr. Hyde]] and sending them to all sorts of magical lands, including Neverland, Camelot, and The Underworld. Season 6 stays in Storybrooke the whole way through and pits the heroes against Rumpelstiltskin and (a version of) The Evil Queen, the villains who started it all, making it feel it a lot more like Season 1, to the point of recreating several iconic moments from it and ending in a finale featuring a perfected version of the Dark Curse being cast.

* ''Film/RockyV'' was an attempt to return to the [[DarkerAndEdgier grittier and more realistic]] tone of ''Film/{{Rocky}}'' and ''Film/RockyII'' after the lighter tone of ''Film/RockyIV''. They even brought back John G. Avildsen, the director of the first movie. It didn't work, and [[OldShame the movie was disowned by everyone, including]] Creator/SylvesterStallone. ''Film/RockyBalboa'' and ''Film/{{Creed}}'' were far more successful examples, combining the serious tone with CharacterAgedWithTheActor.

** ''VideoGame/MegaMan9'' and ''VideoGame/MegaMan10'': By that time, ''Mega Man'' games had complex storylines and complicated gameplay. These two games kept their plots simple and plays almost exactly like an extension of ''VideoGame/MegaMan2'', even keeping the UsefulNotes/{{NES}} appearance. In fact, these two games were designed by the same people who made the original ''VideoGame/{{Mega Man|Classic}}'' games.

* The cancellation of ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' placed the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' franchise in a 4-year limbo void of any new content. Thus, ''Film/StarTrek2009'' went back to [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries the crew that started it all]], albeit in an AlternateTimeline to form [[ContinuityReboot a new continuity]]. The 2009 film attempted to revitalize the original series while maintaining its spirit down to the classic uniform design including the miniskirts and go-go boots for female Starfleet officers.

** ''Film/TheReturnOfGodzilla'' restored Godzilla to an antagonistic role after spending several movies as an unambiguously heroic figure. It's also the first film since the original where Godzilla doesn't fight another monster.

** ''Film/ShinGodzilla'' presented itself as a DisasterMovie mixed with some horror like the original 1954 film (and goes ''way'' darker than the 2014 film).
** ''Film/GodzillaMinusOne'' goes back and revisits the classic film, with a post-war Japan going from zero to minus by the Kaiju's rampage.

* ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}''

* The cancellation of ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' placed the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' franchise in a 4-year limbo void of any new content. Thus, ''Film/StarTrek2009'' went back to [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries the crew that started it all]], albeit in an AlternateTimeline to form [[ContinuityReboot a new continuity]]. The 2009 film attempted to revitalize the original series while maintaining its spirit down to the classic uniform design including the miniskirts and go-go boots for the female Starfleet officers.

* The cancellation of ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' placed the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' franchise in a 4-year limbo void of any new content. Thus, ''Film/StarTrek2009'' went back to [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries the crew that started it all]], albeit in an AlternateTimeline to form [[ContinuityReboot a new continuity]]. The 2009 film attempted to revitalize the original series while maintaining its “spirit” down to the classic uniform design including the miniskirts and go-go boots for the women. It was a massive hit spawning sequels, and even garnering the franchise its first [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]] ([[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestMakeupAndHairstyling Best Makeup]]), and allowing a slew of new shows. One of which, ''Series/StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds'', went back to its roots even further to the ''[[CoolStarship Enterprise]]'' crew ''right before'' Kirk and Spock.

** ''VideoGame/HaloInfinite'' is one of the most obvious cases. Following the extended criticisms of ''Halo 4'' and ''Halo 5'', ''Infinite'' features a story taking place entirely on a mysterious Halo ring, with Master Chief as the sole protagonist (with a female AI companion), the Covenant species as the primary enemies (as the Banished from ''Halo Wars 2''), and many of 343 Industries' controversial enemy design changes rolled back to look much more like Bungie's.

** ''VideoGame/MegaMan11'' also keeps to the simplistic gameplay style of ''Mega Man 9'' and ''10'', but modernizes it with cel-shaded TwoAndAHalfD graphics, a slightly expanded story, and new mechanics like the Double Gear System.