We are only a few days away from King of the Hill’s fourteenth season landing on Netflix, with plenty of rumors and speculation running wild online. With plenty of details revealed about the Hill family’s return to Arlen, Texas, the co-creators of the series recently discussed a character who has yet to be featured in any of the promotional material. As more secrets have been unearthed prior to Hulu’s revival of the series, an estranged member of the Hill clan might be looking to make a return of their own on August 4th.
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In a recent interview at San Diego Comic-Con, King of the Hill co-creator Greg Daniels and new showrunner Saladin Patterson were asked about Hank’s estranged brother Junichiro and whether he would make a comeback to the series. To start, Daniels hinted that Hank’s sibling comeback might be nigh, “It’s funny you should bring that up.” Patterson took the baton from Daniels to express the importance of the character while hinting that Junichiro might in fact be returning to the show, “I don’t want to give any spoilers away, but that’s a character that is also dear to all of us. And so, given the opportunity–meaning, if enough fans show support and we’re able to do the episodes we want to do going forward, there’s a big chance you may see him again. And, obviously if we get to go to Comic-Con Tokyo, if anyone from 20th or Hulu is listening, then there’d be another reason to bring that character back, right?”
Hank’s Long Lost Brother
If you need a refresher on Hank Hill’s estranged sibling, we are more than happy to take a trip to King of the Hill’s past. The two-part story, “Returning Japanese,” debuted in 2002 in the animated series’ sixth season, as the Hill family travels to Japan with Hank’s beligerent father, Cotton. During their trip, Cotton reunites with an old flame, and it is revealed that he had a son who is quite close to Hank’s age named Junichiro. While this revelation isn’t handled well by Hank at first, he makes his peace with the idea, and the two end their introduction on good terms.
Should Junichiro return for the revival, he will need to be played by a new voice actor as Hank’s brother was originally played by legendary martial arts actor David Carradine in his initial appearance. Carradine tragically passed away in 2009, meaning he was deceased even before the end of the original King of the Hill series. So far, the fourteenth season has been more than willing to recast actors for beloved characters, with the biggest being Toby Huss taking on the role of Dale from the late Johnny Hardwick, so if Junichiro returns, it seems likely a new voice actor would take the role.
Want to see if Junichiro returns to Arlen, Texas? Follow along with ComicBook.com for the latest updates on King of the Hill and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.
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