Sam Raimi’s Xena Returns: A New Warrior Princess Adventure on Apple TV+

When news broke that Sam Raimi—yes, the guy behind the original Spider‑Man trilogy—was helming a new Xena series, fans practically gasped. It felt like a nostalgic lightning bolt, striking a generation that grew up watching the sword‑clashing heroine on cable.

Fast‑forward to June 2026, and Apple TV+ drops the first episode, and you can instantly tell this isn’t just a re‑hash. The opening sequence opens on a storm‑splashed coastline, the camera lingering on a scarred but unmistakable silhouette: Xena, older, sharper, and oddly more vulnerable. Raimi’s signature kinetic camera work is there, but he’s let the story breathe, letting dialogue linger a beat longer than you’d expect from a high‑octane fantasy.

What really makes the show click is the blend of old‑school mythic monsters with a very 2020s sensibility. One episode pits Xena against a hydra that, rather than just breathing fire, feeds on social media fear—an oddly apt metaphor for today’s digital age. The writing team, a mix of longtime genre fans and fresh voices, pepper the script with the kind of dry humor Raimi loves—think “you’d think after all these battles she’d have a better sense of direction” as Xena walks into a maze.

Critics have been pretty generous, noting that the series doesn’t shy away from the heroine’s darker past while still delivering the campy fun that made the original a cult classic. The cinematography feels lush; you can almost smell the incense in the palace scenes, and the fight choreography—thanks to a veteran stunt coordinator—feels gritty without being gratuitously violent.

Of course, no revival is without its skeptics. Some longtime fans argue that the new Xena is too “soft,” missing the raw edge of Lucy Lawless’s performance. Yet, even those detractors can’t deny the show’s ambition. The series pushes the mythology forward, exploring the origins of the “Warrior Princess” title itself, and even hints at crossover possibilities with other myth‑based Apple TV+ projects.

All told, Raimi’s Xena feels like a love letter to the past and a bold step into the future. Whether you’re a die‑hard fan or a newcomer who just likes a good sword fight, there’s a decent chance you’ll find something to sink your teeth into. And with Apple TV+ renewing it for a second season before the first even aired, the streaming success seems pretty solid.