FIREFLY Revival Officially Recasts Shepherd Book as Nathan Fillion Explains Timeline

After more than two decades of fan campaigns, rewatches, and wishful thinking, Fireflyis officially staging a return. The short-lived but legendary sci-fi series that first aired on Fox in 2002 is getting a second life as an animated revival, and fans are excited!

For a show that only aired 11 of its 14 episodes before being canceled, Firefly carved out a massive legacy. The story continued in Serenity and through comics, but the demand for a proper continuation never really faded. Now, that continuation is finally happening.

Nathan Fillion confirmed the project is moving forward, and the core crew of the Serenity is coming back with him. That includes Alan Tudyk, Gina Torres, Morena Baccarin, Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite, Summer Glau, and Sean Maher, all reprising their roles in voice form. It’s about as close to a full reunion as fans could realistically expect.

There is one big change, though. Ron Glass, who played Shepherd Book, passed away in 2016. The revival will still include Book, but the role will be recast. Fillion addressed that directly, saying:

“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.”

The team wants to keep Book’s presence alive in the story. Given that this is animation, it offers a respectful way to continue the character without trying to replicate Glass’s physical performance.

Tara Butters and Marc Guggenheim are set as showrunners, 20th Century Animation is producing, and scripts and concept art are in place. The one missing piece is a home. There’s no official network or streaming platform attached just yet.

Even so, Fillion sounds confident that won’t be an issue:

“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.”

Alan Tudyk added, “Conversations are being had.”

Streaming feels like the natural fit, especially with Hulu already hosting the original series, but it sounds like multiple options are on the table.

One of the most interesting creative choices is where this new story fits in the timeline. This isn’t picking up after Serenity. Instead, it drops back into the gap between the original show and the movie.

“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.”

That also means this is very much the “Wash is still alive” era, which makes the project feel like a win.

There is a small continuity hurdle. Serenity establishes that only about eight months pass between the show and the film, so there isn’t a massive amount of time to explore.

Still, that’s the kind of detail that can be adjusted if needed, and it likely won’t get in the way of telling more stories with this crew.

At the end of the day, Firefly is coming back, the original cast is largely intact, and the creative team knows what the fans want. Now, I can’t wait to see what this delivers!

Via: ComicBook