An early look at test footage for a new Mega Man animated series leaks, showing fans what the Blue Bomber could look like in this refreshed version for 2017.

It has been seven years since a proper Mega Man game was released by its publisher, Capcom. 2010’s Mega Man 10 was the last game in the series, which had the input of the series’ creator Keiji Inafune. Outside of mobile ports of some the games in the Mega Man series, Capcom has done little with the franchise in recent years, ever since Inafune left Capcom to pursue his own indie game company.

But it looks as though the franchise might be getting a shot in the arm soon. Not in terms of a new game, but as an animated television series. While the stories of the Blue Bomber have lived on Japan (known there as Rockman) through manga comics, this is the first time many fans in North America will experience something new from Mega Man.

The animated series, first reported by fan site Rockman Corner (via Perfectly Nintendo), is rumored to appear later this year. This animated series was announced two years ago as being in production, but this is the first time a glimpse of it has gotten out. The official synopsis of the show sets up a story:

Dentsu Entertainment and DHX Media’s upcoming Mega Man animated series will focus on Aki Light — a regular, everyday kid who also happens to be schoolboy robot. Besides living his “normal, upbeat” life, Aki has the ability to transform into Mega Man’s iconic armor, complete with the Mega Buster arm cannon and helmet. Familiar characters — like Mega Man’s adorable robotic dog, Rush — will be a part of the series, and new characters, like Mega Mini, will make their debut.

In the original report, Disney XD was said to be the network on which the series would debut. But in an update, Rockman Corner said after hearing from Dentsu Entertainment, the show has yet to be confirmed for Disney XD. The production company also went onto say that the footage was not final footage but instead was a clip of internal animation tests from the studio working on the animated show, Roman LLC. It was not intended for the public to see. Along with that, the company said that the look for Mega Man is also evolving and not the final representation of how the character will look in the finished show.

The original footage from Rockman Corner has been removed, but can be seen in the YouTube video below:

[FOOTAGE REMOVED BY REQUEST]

This is not the first time Mega Man has gotten the animated treatment. Some fans may remember that there was a Saturday morning cartoon that ran from 1994 to 1996 featuring the Blue Bomber.

Dentsu Entertainment has yet to give any other details about when this new animated series might debut.

What do you think of this footage for the Mega Man animated series? Let us know in the comments.