Nathan Fillion Explains Why He Had No Interest Setting the Firefly Animated Series After Serenity

Firefly histrion Nathan Fillion has explained the determination to acceptable the caller animated bid aft the extremity of the live-action amusement but earlier the events of its follow-up movie, Serenity, and confirmed plans to bring backmost a fan-favorite character.

Fillion, who plays Captain Mal Reynolds successful Firefly, and members of the archetypal formed announced the animated bid during a sheet astatine Awesome Con successful Washington D.C., wherever conception creation of the lineup was shown. Alan Tudyk, Gina Torres, Jewel Staite, Morena Baccarin, Sean Maher, Summer Glau, and Adam Baldwin volition reprise their roles. Ron Glass, who played the Shepherd Book, died successful 2016 aged 71.

While a showrunning squad has been assembled and a publication has been completed, the Firefly animated bid isn’t a done woody yet. It volition beryllium taken retired to buyers successful a bid to find a streaming home, with Firefly creator Joss Whedon not involved.

Speaking successful a follow-up interrogation with Deadline, Fillion said that Serenity remains “our fantastic farewell,” and explained that helium had nary involvement successful exploring consequent events. Going successful betwixt the TV amusement and the movie means each the characters tin return.

Warning! Spoilers for Firefly and Serenity follow:

Wash, the quality played by Tudyk, and Book, played by Glass, were some killed disconnected successful Serenity, devastating a procreation of fans. Now, some characters tin return, though Fillion confirmed Book volition beryllium recast.

“It’s called the ‘Wash Is Still Alive Time’ We notation to it arsenic that,” Alan Tudyk joked.

“Exactly,” Fillion added. “You can’t bring backmost Firefly without bringing backmost each of Firefly. We toyed with the thought of spending immoderate clip successful the amusement aft the events of Serenity, and I honestly person nary interest. I deliberation Serenity was our fantastic farewell to what was an unthinkable opportunity. Had we lone had 1 much accidental to bash something, that was it, and it was beautiful. I can’t vie with that. But what I tin bash is spell backmost successful time, bring the pack backmost together, and springiness radical what they want, which is much Firefly. After Serenity, it’s not the same. I didn’t privation to bash this without my buddy Alan. And you cognize that’s a crushed wherefore animation is key, due to the fact that Ron Glass is nary longer with us. I similar to think, successful my bosom of hearts, that this is thing that helium would person wanted.”

Fillion continued: “Yeah, we’re bringing backmost Shepherd Book for certain. Ron Glass, unfortunately, is not available. Ron erstwhile joked that helium didn’t get a portion erstwhile they were looking for a Ron Glass-type, and present we are again. We’re looking for a Ron Glass-type, and it’s not going to beryllium Ron Glass.”

The adjacent question is whether the Firefly animates bid volition find a home. Fillion indicated determination are affirmative calls happening, but nary confirmation yet that a streamer has picked the amusement up.

Firefly premiered connected Fox successful September 2002 and ran for conscionable 11 of its 14 episodes earlier being cancelled. The bid follows the unit of the spaceship known arsenic Serenity, helmed by Fillion’s Mal Reynolds, successful the twelvemonth 2517, and ended up becoming a cult classical erstwhile it made its mode to DVD.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].