Knight Rider, the show about a talking car fighting crime alongside Michael Knight, is coming back. And this time, it’s a movie. But it isn’t returning alone. According to reports, it’s bringing along a few ’80s friends, including Airwolf and The Six Billion Dollar Man. That’s a crossover we’ve waited over 40 years for.
Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald, the brains behind Cobra Kai, are attached to the Knight Rider screenplay. But while that alone would make fans sit up (because these are the people who know how to respect a legacy while giving it a punchy, modern spin), some of their plans might shake up the franchise.
According to Tachyon Pulse Podcast, the new KITT might not even be a Pontiac Firebird. Instead, it could be an electric car. “Obviously, the old Pontiac Firebird was a classic. They’re going to have to use an electric car,” the source explains. Options being kicked around include the Tesla Roadster, the Dodge Charger EV, and Chrysler’s Hion concept. The Charger EV seems to have the best shot at rocking that iconic red scanner light, which is basically the visual signature of the series.
But the new KITT won’t just look cool, it’s going to be packed with AI tech, tying into a broader universe that could include Airwolf and The Six Billion Dollar Man. Apparently, all three franchises could eventually cross paths, fighting AI villains in a shared story world. Think of it as a Marvel-style team-up with AI vehicles and machines.
The Knight Rider story itself is being kept under wraps, but, according to the Tachyon Pulse Podcast, the AI angle is central to the plot and the universe. I mean think about it, the classic KITT was basically the dream car of the ’80s, a black Trans Am with AI (brains and personality). The new version will be smarter, faster, and more integrated with today’s tech. And while Michael Knight’s origin story was already wild (a cop shot in the face, surgically rebuilt into a Hasselhoff lookalike), it set the tone for a show where absurdity and coolness coexisted perfectly.
Then there’s Airwolf. The original series followed a supersonic military helicopter disguised as a civilian chopper, led by Stringfellow Hawke, Dominic Santini, and Michael Coldsmith Briggs III. At its peak, the show ran four seasons, spawned toys, video games, and tie-in novels. Tragically, the real Bell 222 helicopter used in the show crashed in 1992. A reboot could tap into today’s aerospace tech, unmanned aerial vehicles, and VTOL innovations, while leaning on modern CGI for stunts that wouldn’t be feasible in the ’80s. There’s no need to risk real helicopters when you can make Airwolf do things that would make the original stunt coordinators weep with joy.
The timing feels right. AI is everywhere, streaming platforms are hungry for recognizable IPs, and audiences are ready for high-octane action with a nostalgic twist. Whether it’s KITT rolling out in a new electric body or Airwolf slicing through the sky in CGI glory, the legacy of ’80s TV meets today’s technology could actually work. And if the music (Stu Phillips for Knight Rider, Sylvester Levay for Airwolf) comes back, that alone will sell a lot of preorders for your eyeballs.
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OK, I’m in, I wanna play too. So how about this theory, going off of Brett Colbert’s theory (which I really liked), but with s few minor tweaks. Movie starts with OG Knight (yes as the Devon Miles replacement because aftercall he was handed the keys to the kingdom by the billionaire himself, Wilton Knight), finishing his rebuild of the OG KITT (into the new Shelby Cobra). He is told about a possible soldier perfect for the role of the new driver for the new KITT (not OG KITT, a new KITT for new show). Similar to the OG timeline, this soldier is in surgery after some event that nearly killed him and left him almost completely paralyzed, (for some you will see where I am going with this). OG Knight is able to influence certain people and they insert the F.L.A.G. technology responsible for OG KITT and new KITT, into the brain and body of this dying soldier. Next scene, soldier wakes up, shocked to be alive, OG Knight is there and talks with him, tells him the story of how he came to be and how F.L.A.G now needs the soldier man to step into OG Knights original role and continue the legacy set before him. OG Knight then leaves the room to let the soldier think about the offer, but not before saying “By the way, I hope you like your new body. We saved as much of you as we could, and the rest….well the rest just got an upgrade”. We are now introduced to a new 6 million dollar man with all new bionics AND he is able to sync with and communicate with the new KITT, eliminating the need for a watch. During their first meeting together, new KITT pulls up with new Knight in a remote desert scene. New KITT tells new Knight, “I’m picking up something coming this way, but its impossible”. Goes on to say, “it appears to be a vehicle but no vehicle, not even me, can drive this fast”. Then as the camera pans over, we see OG KITT with OG Knight driving in Super Pursuit Mode reminiscent of the opening credit scene. Next we cut to OG’s watching Newbies as they train, then new KITT tells OG KITT, “your fast, but can you do this?” Just then, he transforms (using Nano technology) , into…wait for it…AIRWOLF and does the opening credit scene for OG Airwolf, Then the newbies do a few scenes showing off their combined new partnership, with maybe New Knight running alongside New KITT, even at top speed. Then New KITT transforms into Airwolf and shoots up into the sky then hovers above New Knight and says “Well are you coming?” to which New Knight uses his bionic legs to propel himself 100’s of feet into the air, into Airwolf. OG Knight then puts on his glasses as OG KITT says “well now they are just showing off” as OG Knight says “Yeah, I think they’re gonna be just fine old pal”. and OG KITT responds, “Just like us” and OG Knight says “Just like us”…
END SCENE, END MOVIE relaunch of highly successful reboot.
Nope. F all of that. KITT an EV? Airwolf as a UAV?!
Hopefully, Hasselhoff will replace Edward Mulhare as the Devon Miles role. The Dodge Charger EV gets hacked, the new Michael Knight dies, forcing the OG KITT back together with Hasselhoff…thus, dusting the OG Airwolf off, and they together, take down the new AI-hacked wannabe KITT. BOOM reboot complete!
That would be an awesome way to do it!