After 24 years, Firefly is finally coming back. The Fox science fiction show has established itself as a firm cult favorite over the last two decades, having been cancelled prematurely. Only 11 of its 14 episodes were aired (some out of order) before the network pulled the plug back in 2002. There was an attempt at wrapping things up on the big screen with Serenity (2005), and the story also continued in comic books, but calls for a TV revival have never gone away, even if it seemed unlikely to happen at times.
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Now, those calls have been answered, with star Nathan Fillion confirming an animated Firefly revival is in the works, with several members of the original cast returning to voice their characters, including Alan Tudyk (Hoban “Wash” Washburne), Gina Torres (Zoe Alleyne Washburne), Morena Baccarin (Inara Serra), Adam Baldwin (Jayne Cobb), Jewel Staite (Kaywinnet Lee “Kaylee” Frye), Summer Glau (River Tam), and Sean Maher (Simon Tam). Sadly, Ron Glass, who played Shepherd Derrial Book in the show and movie, passed away in 2016 at the age of 71. However, his character will be present, with Fillion confirming to Deadline that they are looking to cast a new actor for the part:
“Absolutely, that’s the plan. Yeah, we’re bringing back Shepherd Book for certain. Ron Glass, unfortunately, is not available. Ron once joked that he didn’t get a part when they were looking for a Ron Glass-type, and here we are again. We’re looking for a Ron Glass-type, and it’s not going to be Ron Glass.”
What Else Nathan Fillion Has Revealed About The Firefly Revival
Glass’ passing makes the Firefly revival more poignant, but it’s good that the show is respecting the legacy of the character he brought to life. Book was a key part of the series, and while what Glass brought to the character cannot be replicated, it feels right that someone else will get to continue the Shepherd’s story, especially with it being a voice role rather than live-action.
Of course, all the talk of Firefly Season 2 is assuming one big thing: the show gets picked up. The series has a cast, showrunners (Tara Butters and Marc Guggenheim), a script, concept art, and a production company (20th Century Animation), but what it does not have yet is a network. The recent shock cancellation of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale, which was another revival of a Joss Whedon show, proves that nothing is certain, but things are looking good for the Sci-Fi series, and Fillion and Tudyk are confident, with the former telling Deadline:
“I don’t care where it lives. I just want wherever it is for the people who are involved to either love it the way I love it or see the importance of what it is… I don’t think we’re having any difficulty getting the appointment now. You know what I mean? Our foot in the door.”
Tudyk, who was being interviewed alongside his former (and future) co-star, added that, “Conversations are being had.” It remains to be seen where that will be: Hulu would be the obvious and easiest choice given that, alongside 20th Century, it falls under the Disney umbrella, but the comments make it sound very plausible that it could be sold elsewhere. Streaming, however, seems far more likely than a traditional network, and would typically allow for greater flexibility and a bigger budget.
Another interesting part of the animated series is its timeline. This is very much Firefly Season 2, continuing on from where Season 1 left off – and, crucially, set before Serenity. As Tudyk puts it, this is the “Wash Is Still Alive” timeline, with the pilot having been killed during the events of the movie. Fillion expanded upon that decision, and why it was so important to take place prior to the film, telling Deadline:
“You can’t bring back Firefly without bringing back all of Firefly. We toyed with the idea of spending some time in the show after the events of Serenity, and I honestly have no interest. I think Serenity was our wonderful farewell to what was an incredible opportunity. Had we only had one more chance to do something, that was it, and it was beautiful. I can’t compete with that. But what I can do is go back in time, bring the gang back together, and give people what they want, which is more Firefly. After Serenity, it’s not the same. I didn’t want to do this without my buddy Alan. And you know that’s a reason why animation is key, because Ron Glass is no longer with us. I like to think, in my heart of hearts, that this is something that he would have wanted.”
It’s hard to argue with that logic, and it further explains why the show is animated rather than live-action (though this was also done to make it much easier to get the actors back together, given their respective schedules). It does present some wrinkles – there are only a few months between Firefly Season 1 and Serenity: in the movie, it’s noted that it’s been eight months since River and Simon boarded the ship.
There’s not a huge amount of room to work within there, but it’s very possible they’ll simply fudge things a bit or even retcon that line. It shouldn’t be a major issue, and this timeline does make the most sense in order to have all the characters back, but it’ll still be interesting to see how they handle it and where future seasons may go, if it gets to that point. Either way, it’s just great to finally have Firefly back (well, hopefully anyway).
Firefly is available to stream on Hulu.
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Courtesy of Bones Film
