American Gladiators returned Thursday on Amazon Prime Video, bringing back a franchise that once ruled syndicated TV in the 1990s and then faded through a series of false starts. The first three episodes were available on Prime Video as the reboot launched with WWE Superstar Mike Mizanin, billed as The Miz, at the center of the action.
The new version is produced by MGM Television and leans heavily on pro wrestling in its Gladiator lineup. Jesse Godderz, cast as Steel, said producers floated a handful of names before he gave the nod, calling the role “Steel” and saying, “Daddy’s Home.” He added, “I couldn’t be more elated,” and said, “I think it’s very, very fitting — I mean, the Man of Steel just fits.”
Godderz is no stranger to competition television. He appeared on back-to-back seasons of CBS Big Brother, and now joins a cast that also includes Eric Bugenhagen as Bull, Kailey Latimer as Hurricane, Jessica Roden as Supernova and Michael Wardlow as Fang. The reboot is a fresh run for a brand first created by Johnny Ferraro and long associated with spectacle, muscle and a crowd-pleasing sense of overstatement.
That history matters because the franchise has been here before. NBC aired a reboot in 2008 that lasted two seasons and featured Hulk Hogan as host, while that roster also included pro wrestlers Matt Morgan and Jessie Smith Jr., along with Gina Carano as Crush. Several updated attempts since the original run fell flat, and the new Amazon Prime Video version is betting that a bigger wrestling presence and a cleaner identity can give the format a longer life.
Godderz framed the comeback as a return worth waiting for, saying, “Cinderella is ready for the ball.” The question now is not whether the brand still has recognition; it does. It is whether this revival can do what the others could not and turn nostalgia into a lasting audience beyond opening weekend.