With X-Men: Dark Phoenix being released in movie theaters with less of a fanfare and more with a sad trombone, we're at the sad point where an ailing film franchise starts to produce more bad films than it has good ones - and from then on, it is hard for its credibility to return.
While the first two films were classics in the superhero movie genre, the later X-Men films have often flattered to deceive, and with this being the final Fox-produced version of the characters, it's understandable that people will want a break from the likes of Cyclops, Professor X, Magneto and (especially) Jean Grey.
But while the movies are probably going to be left untouched for a while, there's a growing clamour for the best X-Men adaptation so far to make a dramatic return - led by none other than the creators themselves.
Here's that iconic opening theme to get you in the mood:X-Men: The Animated Series ran from 1992 to 1997, and was part of the animated universe that also included the Spider-Man and Iron Man cartoons, forming the Marvel Cinematic Universe... before the Marvel Cinematic Universe even existed.
And according to longtime artist Larry Houston, it could be on its way back, revealing that the creators are in the process of pitching a new show to Disney XD, wherein they could continue where they left off with the animated series, even down to the iconic art style.
"The one thing we’d like to do more than anything else is to continue where we left off," Houston said to the Hollywood Reporter, while the primary actors for the show will be reunited for the first time at a Comicon panel in October.
Over that five-year span, the comics covered many iconic storylines from the comics, including the Dark Phoenix storyline, which has so far failed to capture the imagination onscreen. Perhaps, the way forward is swap out the big screen for something a little smaller. Here's to hoping.