With the emergence of popular TV shows returning from cancellation, like Arrested Development or Lucifer on Netflix, there will always be an interest in seeing the short-lived TV series Firefly return in any form, whether it be a new season of TV or a sequel film to Serenity.
As long as there are Browncoats who believe that Firefly will rise again, the cast and crew of the sci-fi TV series will seemingly always be asked if such a return could still be in the cards. Unfortunately, Firefly star Nathan Fillion doesn’t sound optimistic.
And when Joss Whedon became one of the most important directors in Hollywood thanks to The Avengers’ breakout success in 2013, many wondered if a new Firefly was a realistic possibility
That, of course, ignored the many scheduling and practical obstacles that would stand in the way. In an interview with HitFix, Nathan Fillion was blunt and honest, calling a Firefly resurrection an “impossibility.” But he then added that he once thought the movie Serenity was an “impossibility,” and he would never count Joss Whedon out. So maybe there was a small glimmer of hope after all (but probably not).
Whedon recently said if there was a Firefly return, that it wouldn’t be the same as the original TV series. He also added that he was far too busy dealing with the production of The Avengers 2, launching the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series for Disney and ABC, and overseeing the other movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase Two to think about anything else, including Firefly.
At this point, all these years later it seems as if Nathan Fillion’s original assessment about the impossibility around a Firefly comeback was correct. But in a decade some of the reasoning has also likely changed. For starters, the actor might be busier now than he ever was before.
And unfortunately, Joss Whedon has lost considerable star power in the following years after he was accused of not-amazing behavior on the set of DC’s Justice League which then led to some retroactive comeuppance about his behavior in other places, namely Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
So will Nathan Fillion and Firefly ever return? It’s not looking likely.