Disney XD made a weird choice back in 2016. They took two of their biggest live-action hits, Lab Rats and Mighty Med, and smashed them together into a singular, high-stakes spinoff. It was called Lab Rats: Elite Force. For some fans, it was the ultimate crossover event, like a low-budget, teen-targeted version of the Avengers. For others? It was a confusing mess that ended on a cliffhanger that still stings today.
The show followed Chase and Adam—well, actually just Chase and Bree, because the casting was a whole saga in itself—as they teamed up with Kaz, Oliver, and Skylar from the Mighty Med universe. They were living in a glass-walled penthouse in Centium City, trying to hunt down villains who had destroyed the mighty superhero hospital. It was darker than the shows that birthed it. People actually got hurt. Legacies were at stake.
The Weird Alchemy of the Lab Rats: Elite Force Cast
Honestly, the biggest hurdle for the show was who wasn't there. If you grew up watching the original Lab Rats, you knew Leo and Adam were the heart and the muscle. But when Lab Rats: Elite Force kicked off, Tyrel Jackson Williams and Spencer Boldman were nowhere to be found.
Billy Unger (now going by William Brent) and Kelli Berglund carried the torch for the bionic side. On the superhero side, you had Bradley Steven Perry and Jake Short, who already had incredible comedic timing from their years on Mighty Med. Paris Berelc rounded it out as Skylar Storm.
The chemistry was... interesting. You had bionic humans who used logic and science-based powers living with actual superheroes who got their powers from a space stone. It created this constant friction. Chase, the "smartest man in the world," suddenly had to deal with the fact that his "science" couldn't explain everything Oliver and Kaz could do.
Why the Spinoff Felt Different
Most Disney sequels or spinoffs try to keep the exact same vibe. Elite Force didn't. Creators Chris Peterson and Bryan Moore decided to lean into a more serialized storytelling format. Instead of "villain of the week," the show focused heavily on the overarching threat of Roman and Riker, the sons of Rodissius.
These weren't goofy villains. They were shapeshifters. They were vengeful. They killed—or at least "permanently incapacitated"—nearly every superhero in the world in the first ten minutes of the pilot. That’s heavy for a show aimed at ten-year-olds.
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The Centium City Setup and the Bionic-Hero Divide
The show wasn't just about fighting. It was about the logistics of being a hero. They lived in this high-tech tower funded by Donald Davenport, which basically served as the headquarters for the newly formed "Elite Force."
Bree got a major power upgrade early on. She was always the fast one, but she eventually gained "superhero" abilities through the Arcturion, which felt like a bit of a cheat to some purists. But it worked. It leveled the playing field between the two groups.
The dynamics were lopsided, though.
- Chase was the leader, but his ego often got in the way.
- Bree was the glue, trying to balance the two teams.
- Kaz and Oliver provided the comic relief, though Oliver’s pining for Skylar became a bit of a repetitive trope.
- Skylar was the powerhouse trying to regain her lost abilities.
There was a real sense of loss in the show. The characters were grieving the destruction of Mighty Med and the loss of their friends. You don't usually see that in sitcoms with a laugh track. It felt like Disney was trying to compete with the rising popularity of the CW’s Arrowverse, but with a smaller budget and a younger demographic.
The Cliffhanger That Never Got Fixed
This is the part that still drives the fandom crazy. Lab Rats: Elite Force only lasted one season. Fifteen episodes. That’s it.
The finale, "The Attack," ended with the team facing off against a new threat after Rodissius regained his powers. Chase was injured. A new war was starting. And then... the screen went black.
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Disney XD cancelled the show without a resolution. No TV movie, no wrap-up episode, nothing.
Why? Ratings play a part, obviously. But 2016 was also a transitional year for Disney's cable networks. They were starting to move away from high-concept, expensive live-action shows toward more animation and lower-cost "multi-cam" sitcoms. Elite Force was expensive. The CGI for the powers, the sets, and the cast salaries added up.
Fans have spent years writing petitions. They’ve flooded Twitter (X) hashtags. They’ve asked the actors at conventions if there will ever be a Season 2. The answer is almost always a polite "no." The actors have moved on. William Brent and Kelli Berglund are doing different things now. Bradley Steven Perry is a whole adult.
Addressing the "Fake" Season 2 Rumors
If you search for Lab Rats: Elite Force today, you’ll find a dozen YouTube videos and "fan-wiki" pages claiming Season 2 is coming out in 2025 or 2026.
It’s all fake.
These are usually "fan-fiction" seasons where people write out what they wish would happen. They use old clips and call them "leaked trailers." It's a testament to how much people loved the show that they are still making this content nearly a decade later, but don't get your hopes up. There is no official production happening.
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What You Can Actually Do If You Miss the Show
Since we aren't getting new episodes, what’s a fan to do?
First, watch the "hidden" continuity. While Elite Force ended, the world technically lives on through the shared universe of Disney XD. You can go back and watch the crossover episodes in the original series like "Lab Rats vs. Mighty Med" to see the first time these worlds collided.
Second, check out the actors' newer projects. Kelli Berglund went on to do Heels and Now Apocalypse, showing a much wider range than Bree ever allowed her.
Lastly, look at the writing. If you're a writer or a creator, Elite Force is a masterclass in how to—and how not to—execute a crossover. It successfully merged two different "magic systems" (bionics and superheroes), which is a hard thing to do without breaking the logic of the world.
The Legacy of the Elite Force
Even though it was short-lived, the show proved that there was an appetite for "superhero drama" within the Disney Channel ecosystem. It paved the way for shows like Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion or even the more recent Disney+ Marvel series that target a similar age group.
It was a bridge between the era of pure sitcoms and the era of serialized streaming content. It just happened to be on a platform that wasn't quite ready for it yet.
If you're going to rewatch it today, keep your expectations in check regarding the ending. Enjoy the banter between Kaz and Oliver. Appreciate the high-stakes action of the first few episodes. Just know that when you hit episode 15, you're going to be left wanting more. That's just the price of being a fan of this particular "Elite Force."
Actionable Steps for Fans
- Watch the Full Chronology: To get the full story, you have to watch Lab Rats (Seasons 1-4), then Mighty Med (Seasons 1-2), and finally Elite Force.
- Avoid Scams: Don't click on "Season 2 Trailer" videos on YouTube that require you to download files or fill out surveys. They are phishing for your data.
- Check Disney+: The entire saga is currently streaming there. If you want to show Disney there is still interest, the best way is to keep those streaming numbers high.
The show remains a fascinating "what if" in TV history. It was a bold experiment that ran out of time. But for those fifteen episodes, it was the biggest thing on the network.