Nathan Fillion as Mal Reynolds in Firefly
It appears that Fox’s seminal space Western Firefly could finally be revived, more than 23 years after it was canceled just 11 episodes into its run. The show’s lead actor Nathan Fillion has teased a major announcement on Sunday, March 15, in a series of Instagram posts with his former castmates.
The cult status that Firefly has acquired in the years since its cancellation naturally means Fillion’s posts have generated an enormous amount of excitement among sci-fi fans, with many speculating about what a Firefly reboot could involve. Multiple franchise releases in other media may provide precisely the storyline clues fans are looking for. Any revival of Firefly would need to answer the questions posed by Serenity, the movie released three years after the original TV series first aired. This movie killed off some of the show’s key characters, left the relationship between Mal Reynolds and Inara Serra, and suggested the threat of the cannibalistic Reaver faction might still remain. Firefly Already Has Movie, Novel & Comic-Book Spinoffs Whereas the movie Serenity serves as a straightforward sequel to the original Firefly TV show, the connection between these screen releases and the franchise’s print publications is more complicated. A total of nine novels and six different comic-book series have been published as part of the Firefly universe. The very first of these publications, the 2005 comic-book miniseries Those Left Behind, bridges the narrative gap between the TV show and Serenity’s fiery ending to the overall story arc for the screen releases. The next two comic-book releases are also set between the show and the movie, but the subsequent four sit in different parts of the Firefly timeline. Float Out is effectively a tribute to Hoban"Wash" Washburne following his death in Serenity, while The Shepherd's Tale is an origin story for Shepherd Derrial Book set before the TV show. On the other hand, Leaves on the Wind and No Power in the ’Verse follow on from the events of the movie. Meanwhile, Firefly’s acclaimed spinoff novels are all set before the events of Serenity, with four of them tying directly into specific plots within the TV series, and five of them taking place after the original series in the franchise’s narrative chronology. None of these novels could work as a sequel to what’s already been done onscreen. What Could Happen In A Firefly TV Revival Nathan Fillion’s Instagram posts with the Firefly cast have inevitably created a considerable amount of speculation about how a Firefly TV reboot could work. Yet, at this stage, it’s easier to say what this revival definitely wouldn’t involve than what it would. We can be certain, for example, that Shepherd Derrial Book will not be making a return to the franchise, since he was killed off in Serenity, and the actor who played him, Ron Glass, has since passed away. However, the character Hoban"Wash" Washburne also dies in Serenity, but actor Alan Tudyk is tagged in Nathan Fillion’s teaser posts. It remains to be how Wash could be revived for a new Firefly TV series, unless this fresh iteration of the screen universe were a prequel to the original show. In that case, Tudyk, Fillion, and the rest of the main cast would surely have to be replaced with a younger generation of actors. Given the amount of spinoff content now in print about the Firefly universe, the possibilities for what exactly a new TV show could involve are almost endless. Logically, though, if the original cast were involved, it would have to be a sequel to the movie Serenity, without Alan Tudyk appearing onscreen. Should Any Of The Firefly Comics Be Canon For A Reboot? Where a Firefly reboot landed in the franchise’s timeline would ultimately determine which of the spinoff media – if any – could be used as the basis for continuing the original show’s story. The franchise has told various stories in print set before, during, and after the events of the show. Subscribe for Firefly revival analysis and canon coverage Explore how our newsletter gives informed, topic-focused coverage of the Firefly revival: casting possibilities, which comics or novels fit into a reboot, and how continuity might be honored or reimagined — subscribe for expert breakdowns rooted in franchise canon. Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Given the major complications involved in setting a revival during or immediately after the events of Firefly, whether with the same actors or new ones, we can pretty much rule out the spinoff novels as source material for its storylines. The only other franchise media left to adapt are the comic books set after the events of Serenity, or before the events of the original show. Specifically, the origin story The Shepherd’s Tale and the sequels Float Out, Leaves on the Wind and No Power in the ’Verse are the primary candidates for screen adaptation. These comic-book releases are the only ones that sit comfortably either side of Firefly and Serenity in the overall narrative chronology. It’s worth noting that all the franchise comic books are considered canon, with the exception of the BOOM! Studios alternate universe release Firefly ‘Verses. For reasons related to copyright, all comics within the franchise canon are released under the Serenity name, but this technicality doesn’t make them any less a part of the Firefly lore. At the same time, were a revival series to contradict anything in the comic books or novels, their place in the franchise’s overall canon would be called into question. Any Firefly reboot comes with a lot of excitement, but also a lot of responsibility towards the fans who have devoted 23 years to this inimitable multimedia sci-fi universe. 173 9.5/10 8/10 Firefly 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-14 Drama Adventure Science Fiction Release Date 2002 - 2003-00-00 Network FOX Showrunner Joss Whedon Directors Allan Kroeker, David Solomon, James A. Contner, Marita Grabiak, Michael Grossman, Tim Minear, Vern Gillum Writers Cheryl Cain, Drew Z. Greenberg, Jane Espenson Cast See All Powered by Expand Collapse
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