80s Japanese superhero series Space Sheriff Gavan to get revival in 2026
The new series will be titled Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity. The original series gained fans in the region after it aired on Malaysia's RTM.
Space Sheriff Gavan was a popular superhero series in the 80s, with many fans in Singapore and Malaysia due to its airing on Malaysia's RTM TV channel. (Photos: Toei)
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Space Sheriff Gavan, the superhero series that ruled airwaves around the region in the 80s and 90s, is set to make a comeback in 2026 with a new show titled Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity. Japanese entertainment company Toei announced on Monday (Nov 24) that the new Gavan series will be the first instalment of its new Project RED franchise, with RED being an acronym for Records of Extraordinary Dimensions.
According to Toei, the new franchise will focus on red superheroes and, as such, the protagonist of the new show, Gavan Infinity, "will don a metallic red combat suit".
In a statement, Toei said: "With its striking metallic suit and unforgettable impact in the 80s, [Space Sheriff Gavan] became a legendary work that thrilled not only Japanese viewers but fans overseas as well.
"While inheriting its innovative elements – its one-of-a-kind hero design and sci-fi elements set in space – the 2026 title, Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity, is something entirely different. With the latest visual technology and direction techniques, it becomes an entirely new Gavan, rebuilt completely from zero."
It added: "AI, space exploration, and space industries – what people in the 80s imagined as 'the future' has now become reality. With today’s remarkable technological advancements, new visual expression and storytelling that resonates with real modernity make this reborn Gavan possible."
Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity is set to air on television in 2026, taking over the timeslot currently occupied by the Super Sentai franchise – which will reportedly conclude with its current series, Number One Sentai Gozyuger.
The original Space Sheriff Gavan aired in Japan from March 1982 to February 1983 and starred Kill Bill actor Kenji Ohba as Retsu Ichijouji, a Space Sheriff tasked with protecting the world.
Years after its conclusion, Space Sheriff Gavan attracted a new wave of fans across Southeast Asia when Malaysia’s RTM aired it, introducing the show to audiences in both Malaysia and Singapore.
In fact, the show became so popular that it entered the Malay lexicon: The word "gaban", derived from Gavan, came to be used as an adjective quantifier denoting large size.
