James Cameron And Jessica Alba Teamed Up For A Sci-Fi Series No One Talks About Anymore

In the early 2000s, Jessica Alba and James Cameron teamed up for a sci-fi series that debuted to massive ratings before being cancelled too soon. "Dark Angel" was ambitious yet short-lived, and more than two decades later, many viewers may not remember why it ended so quickly, despite Cameron's involvement.

Alba starred as a supersoldier named Max Guevara, who lives in a post-apocalyptic 2019 after a disastrous government experiment. Cameron developed the series with Charles H. Eglee, and "Dark Angel" arrived at a time when TV audiences were already embracing tough, genre-bending female heroines, as seen on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." The payoff? "Dark Angel's" debut episode on Fox logged an impressive 17.4 million viewers. 

"Dark Angel" was also expensive. The pilot reportedly cost around $12 million, and, as noted in "The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film and Television," Season 2 episodes were still running about $1.3 million apiece. With high costs and declining viewership, the network ultimately reversed course on Season 3, leaving "Dark Angel" Season 2 to end on a cliffhanger. 

As streaming has made it easier for viewers to revisit older TV series, questions about reboots and revivals often follow. In 2024, Alba addressed the possibility while speaking to ET during a press tour for Netflix's "Trigger Warning." When asked whether she would consider returning to "Dark Angel," she said, "Oh my goodness, would I do 'Dark Angel' again? If [Cameron] wanted to do 'Dark Angel,' I would do 'Dark Angel' again." She added, "He really has been a mentor of mine and it would just be fun to work with him. We have that history together, and I admire him so much, so I think it would be fun."

Alba also suggested that the series' themes might resonate differently today. "[Dark Angel] was ahead of its time, for sure," she said. "It would be really interesting just to see where [Cameron] and [Eglee] would take it knowing what we know now about AI and everything ... and just where technology is. It would be cool to see how, where they would dream."

Cameron, meanwhile, has spoken positively about working with Alba on "Dark Angel." In "Science Fiction Television Series, 1990–2004," the filmmaker praised her performance in the show's finale, "Freak Nation," saying, "She's such a pro. She was so 'there' for me. I think she was kind of hungry for real, honest-to-god character direction." He added, "She generates from the inside — she doesn't need a lot of strong direction." While Cameron remains deeply involved in the "Avatar" franchise, both his past comments and Alba's more recent remarks suggest the door isn't entirely closed on revisiting "Dark Angel."