Billy the Kid is such a classic Western role that has been reinterpreted over the decades. While audiences may have been most familiar with the historical figure during the height of the Western genre in Hollywood, there have also been some modern iterations of the character that have attempted to tell his story from a new perspective. Indeed, that’s always what it’s been about, finding new angles to explore.

While Billy the Kid may have been real, the fictionalized versions of the character have far surpassed what is really known about Henry McCarty. Historical accuracy isn’t always at the forefront of adaptations, not when there is a blockbuster epic to be made. However, MGM and Epix have stood out by producing a dramatic series that not only entertains as it should and celebrates the genre, but also paints Billy the Kid in a much more accurate light.

Billy the Kid Has Been Immortalized On Film

Image via Turner Classic Televsion.

Billy the Kid was a famous outlaw and gunman, perhaps associated best with the Lincoln County War in New Mexico. While he may have been famous for his crimes during his lifetime, it was after his death that his legend grew. Killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett in the early 1880s, it wasn’t long before his story was retold, first on the page and then on the big screen.

It was in 1911 that Billy the Kid would first get a starring role in a movie, with the silent short named after the criminal earning notoriety. It was obvious that audiences were instantly drawn to this unpredictable anti-hero, who seemed somewhat glamorized. Today, Billy the Kid has been featured in over 50 movies and Western TV shows, each taking a different stance on the character. Some have hailed him as a complete hero, with audiences rooting for him through thick and thin.

Other adaptations have painted him as the villain, leaning into his life of crime and the many murders with which he was associated. But all that time, it’s hard to see how so many of those adaptations have failed to capture the genuine man behind the moniker. So many of them are overly dramatized to spin the tale in one direction or another.

Some have romanticized the character, showing him in completely made-up relationships and painting him as a bit of a heartthrob. These are perhaps the most overt versions where mistakes have been made in the portrayal, but then it’s all fair game when creative license comes along. Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid from 1973 is still considered to be one of the worst versions of the character, taking so much liberty with the original events that they may as well be about a completely different character. It’s not hard for other adaptations to better what was put to screen here.

The 1989 TV movie, Billy the Kid, is far more accurate in its interpretation, but still makes some alterations necessary to ensure the production was compelling enough for audiences to tune in. However, the truth about this character is that the real man is genuinely intriguing. That’s the point of making an adaptation based on his life to start with. The concept that anything about that background needs to be changed is absurd, which is why it was so refreshing when MGM came along with a version of the character that seemed to respect the past.

The MGM Iteration Has Steadily Built An Incredible Interpretation

Image via MGM

In 2022, a new show premiered on Epix. The series was called Billy the Kid, and it was commissioned for an initial run of 8 episodes. Soon, Season 2 and 3 would follow, each with an additional 8 episodes, bringing the total run to 24 episodes and 3 seasons. It’s unclear how much further the show will grow, but with the latest and seemingly last season releasing in 2025, it’s obvious that MGM, who now host the series on MGM+, did have high hopes for the concept as a franchise-builder for the streaming platform.

The series cast Tom Blyth as the titular antagonist, a largely unknown up-and-coming actor at the time of the show’s initial release. He has since appeared as Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, which is likely part of the reason the series has seemingly come to an end for now, as its lead’s schedule becomes busier. The show was also populated with other incredible young talent such as Eileen O’Higgins, Daniel Webber, and Alex Roe, each of whom is beginning to build wider portfolios off the back of the series’ success.

The series may have some developing star power in front of the camera, but the secret to its success is in the creator, writer, and producer of the show. Michael Hirst is the man responsible for this reimagining, and history-lovers will find that his fingerprints have been all over some other recent greats. His early work on films like Elizabeth helped to establish his niche, and his take on The Tudors firmly set him as the go-to guy for dramatic historical fiction. Vikings and Camelot secured that reputation, making this a must-watch for fans of those shows.

Audiences have instantly fallen in love with this interpretation, the so-called misunderstood outlaw gaining a new meaning here. There are elements of the show that have painted him as a hero of sorts still, with the series creating a slightly more sympathetic iteration of the lead. That’s perhaps not quite in keeping with the accuracy of other elements of the show, but of course, that’s a theme that has been raised repeatedly in the figure’s adaptation. Nonetheless, there is much to be said about the show’s efforts to rival many of the movie iterations of the character.

Billy the Kid’s Historical Accuracy Is Commendable

Image via MGM+

Billy the Kid does make some changes to the figure’s core relationships, playing between the plot holes of his life and attempting to expand upon some of the lesser-known things about the real gunman. Critics have picked up on those elements and torn them apart, but that’s the sort of creative thinking that brought success to The Tudors, Vikings, and the like. With all that being said, the timeline of Billy the Kid’s life is very accurate here; there aren’t many movies that have been able to pace their plots along the realistic history of events.

The benefit of having a long-running show such as this is that it provides further room to explore historical moments that movies would likely have to skip past. There’s also something to be said about treating Billy the Kid as a real character, as opposed to some kind of fictional entity that can be used in any Western story. In the past, Billy the Kid has been crossed over with other Western legends, as if he’s a member of the Avengers, waiting for the next big event movie. In the case of MGM’s Billy the Kid, there is no need for cameos or unusual team-ups.

MGM may be hoping to franchise Billy the Kid with future spinoffs, now that the main run has come to an end, but fans of Westerns need to explore what the show has to offer in its current form. It offers a clear and concise look at the outlaw’s life, and although it takes some freedom when it comes to specifics, there are plenty of historical accuracies across the show that highlight its ethos, which is far different from those blockbuster variations. The Lincoln County War is a critical part of the plot; characters like Lew Wallace, John Tunstall, and Pat Garrett are very much present, and Billy meets his fate as intended.

Or does he… Because the biggest change that Billy the Kid makes is in its finale, when things are left open-ended. While historically, what happened to Billy is set in stone, killed at 21, the show takes a slightly different path. It implies that perhaps this version of events has been mistaken and that Billy the Kid’s alternative ending is the real story of the legendary figure. That’s up to the audience to decide, but MGM’s variation certainly puts the narrative set out by every other movie to the test.