Firefly Revival - Will It Ever Happen?
There are few single-season shows out there that have quite the same reputation and cult following as "Firefly." Created by Joss Whedon in roughly the same period the writer-director was riding high off the success of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel," the space Western series pushed the boundaries of what science fiction could look like on a television budget. There are no aliens in "Firefly" — just human beings traveling through the void of space looking for a purpose.
Led faithfully by the beloved Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion), the Serenity crew takes odd, usually illegal jobs, fights a galactic alliance, and seeks to find a better world. Though only 14 episodes were ever produced, "Firefly" became a quick fan favorite. It wasn't "Star Wars" or "Star Trek" — though in many ways it borrows the best elements from both — but "Firefly" proved to be something new and exciting, with a tone and cult success that could never be quite recaptured by any other cast and crew.
Spawning a continuation feature film titled "Serenity" and a media franchise that has extended to comic books, novels, video games, and more, fans of "Firefly" still find themselves taking to the skies with their favorite band of smugglers. But will there ever be a true "Firefly" revival? Well, only time will tell, but after over 20 years, the chances don't exactly look good.
Why was Firefly canceled?
The cancellation of "Firefly" was tragic. When Fox began airing episodes of what was Joss Whedon's latest series, they did so completely out of order. How you do that with only 14 episodes at your disposal seems beyond comprehension. But keep in mind, 2002 is infamous for Fox TV executives making poor choices — they also canceled "Family Guy" that year. And instead of kicking off "Firefly" with the very necessary pilot episode titled "Serenity," Fox started with the second episode, called "The Train Job."
Additionally, "Objects in Space," the last produced episode of "Firefly" originally intended as a Season 1 finale, was aired just before the pilot, and three episodes never aired during the original Fox run at all, instead premiering in the United Kingdom the following summer. Eventually, the Science Channel aired all 14 episodes in order, though "Firefly" had been off the air for nearly a decade by then.
So, what took "Firefly" down? Though the show was mostly well-received by critics, high praise sadly wasn't enough to keep the Serenity afloat. Aside from out-of-order episodes and Fox's apparently unrealistic expectations, the real reason "Firefly" was canceled was low ratings. So, rather than continue to try and build a bigger audience over time, Fox axed the show before it even got off the ground. Airing on Friday nights — a timeslot sometimes referred to as "the Friday night death slot" — didn't help, either, which set the series up to fail. That, along with poor marketing that failed to capture the rebel spirit of the show, contributed harshly to the untimely fade to black of "Firefly."
The impressive fandom that never quit
"Firefly" fans, dubbed "browncoats" after the band of rebels that some of the main characters once belonged to, are unlike any other. It's because of their love for the series and its characters that the franchise has been able to continue in any capacity for over 20 years. After it sank like a bag of hammers on Fox, many viewers flocked to DVD racks and online marketplaces to express their continued interest in the show. Miraculously, "Firefly" DVD pre-sales sold out on Amazon within 24 hours.
Fans continued to campaign for Fox to bring "Firefly" back for another season, sending in letters, emails, and petitions to get their favorite show back on the air. While Fox didn't budge, others noticed their efforts. Recognizing the fans' dedication to the story, Universal Pictures acquired the film rights and greenlit a feature set to bring back the "Firefly" cast and crew, citing the show's impressive DVD sales as enough potential to build something bigger.
In 2006, a documentary about fan involvement in "Firefly" and continuing the story, called "Done the Impossible: The Fans Tale of 'Firefly' and 'Serenity'" was released as a love letter of sorts to the show and its audience. Adam Baldwin — who played Jayne Cobb, one of the Serenity's resident mercenaries — narrated the film, while Jewel Staite – aka Serenity engineer Kaylee Frye — provided some voice-over work. Ever since, "Firefly" fans have continued to show up and support their show, constantly hoping to fund or inspire a revival of some sort.
From TV adventures to theatrical blockbuster
When shows are canceled, usually, that's it. Occasionally fans are able to save shows for a time or they're revived later on down the road. But following those impressive DVD sales and momentous fan outcry, "Firefly" returned once again to the screen — the big one, this time. In 2005, just a few years after Fox's untimely cancellation, Universal Pictures released the sci-fi action feature "Serenity" –a continuation film set to conclude the series' mythology and satisfy those outspoken fans who hoped for more.
Though Joss Whedon originally planned a multi-season series, "Serenity" allowed Whedon and his cast to revisit the 'verse yet again, even if for a final time. The epic space Western genre mash-up of the series translated masterfully to the big screen. Not only are the visuals a massive upgrade from the television show, but the enhanced budget of a feature film allowed Whedon to tell a bigger and more mythology-heavy story than could've been told on the small screen. Well, at least not at the time.
Though it was released about two years after the series ended, the events of "Serenity" pick up only two months after the impromptu series finale of "Firefly," continuing the Alliance's pursuit of River Tam (Summer Glau) and the rest of the crew. Of course, the impressive direction from Whedon and the excellent work from the cast only made fans want a sequel even more.
Grounded once more
After DVD sales for "Firefly" skyrocketed, it seemed like a good idea to continue the short-lived series as a feature film. For many, there was even hope for a continuing "Serenity" franchise with multiple cinematic installments. Rumors circulated about a potential sequel, but nothing ever came of it. After hoping DVD sales for the feature may do for the film what they did for the television series, a "Serenity" sequel faded out of Universal's preview. "There's no sequel, no secret project regarding 'Serenity' or somesuch," Whedon told fans on the since-decommissioned Joss-themed Whedonesque website. "I'm not even sure how anyone thought there was talk there." With that, the hopes of many were dashed.
But in 2015, Whedon was singing a slightly different tune when talking with Empire about the potential future of the franchise. He went on to remark that although he didn't foresee a theatrical sequel, he still hoped for a television revival of "Firefly" one day. "As long as I was able to service the characters with integrity and had enough money so that I wasn't hampered, then I would love to return Serenity to TV," he told the outlet, reiterating his love for that 'verse and the cast of characters within. "There could be a series, there could be a miniseries, there could be all sorts of things. I'm not ruling anything out." Although a sequel to "Serenity" wasn't likely to happen, some sort of live-action continuation of "Firefly" seemed possible somewhere down the line.
Joss Whedon complicates things
The continued questions of how one can or should divorce the creator from the creation are tough to answer. For some, separating the art from the artist — especially in a television context, in which hundreds of artists are involved — is relatively easy. For others, it's nearly impossible. Wherever you fall on that spectrum, there's no denying that the more recent controversies surrounding Joss Whedon make it increasingly difficult for "Firefly" to return.
Ever since Vulture published a 2022 article that produced several allegations from cast and crew members of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Angel," "Dollhouse," and "Justice League," the "Firefly" creator has been keeping a much lower profile. While Whedon wasn't the only filmmaker associated with "Firefly," he is the creator of the franchise and responsible for writing several episodes as well as the film, which he also directed. But some are still willing to work with Whedon again in the future.
In an interview on the "Inside of You" podcast, Nathan Fillion noted that it would be heartbreaking if "Firefly" continued without its creator. "That was not my experience with that man," Fillion said about the allegations. "I would work with Joss again in a second." Wherever the truth about Whedon lies, he has nothing coming down the Hollywood pipeline, making the chances of any more on-screen "Firefly" adventures slimmer. But despite Whedon's troubles, many of the cast members want to continue on.
The cast have conflicting thoughts on continuing
Depending on who you ask, you may get different answers regarding the likelihood of more "Firefly." Both Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk (who played pilot Hoban "Wash" Washburne) have starkly different ideas on a revival. According to Fillion, who has said his time on "Firefly" was the best job he ever had, there's no real need for any more adventures. "We were able to have a nice kind of final goodbye," he said in reference to "Serenity." "We had closure, which is more than a lot of people with canceled shows can say." Nevertheless, in his 2022 interview with Michael Rosenbaum, Fillion revealed that he'd jump at the chance to play Mal Reynolds once more.
On the flip side, Alan Tudyk adamantly wants a "Firefly" reboot, but with a twist. "It's going to take a little time. I like the idea of it in another 10 years or so," Tudyk told Esquire. He believes that Clint Eastwood's Western epic "Unforgiven" is the best model to follow, just with Fillion's character at the center.
Conversely, actress Summer Glau commented that she was torn on a revival since "Firefly" is an underdog story at heart. "I think that part of the magic about 'Firefly' is that it didn't last, and that all of [the fans] are the ones keeping it alive..." Though Glau said she wouldn't be able to stay away from a reboot, she isn't sure if the magic could be recaptured.
Could a Friends-style reunion happen?
Of course, not every "Firefly" star actively wants to come back for a full-on revival series. Morena Baccarin, who played Serenity tenant and high-society sex worker Inara Serra, has expressed that she's not overly interested in returning to play the character again in the future. "I like laying some things to rest," she told Michael Rosenbaum on a 2023 episode of "Inside of You." "We should do a reunion or we should do like a podcast or a talk or like a one-off, like 'Friends' did. That'd be fun, right? I don't really need to resuscitate the show, for me."
Baccarin was speaking of "Friends: The Reunion," in which the original cast reunited on the original set to reminisce on their time with the series. While many had hoped for a narrative continuation of "Friends," the cast reunion special is as close as we're likely to get. With that in mind, a "Firefly" reunion special might be the most practical way to bring the beloved cast back together (and possibly even reconstruct the beloved Serenity itself).
If the powers that be refuse to revive the space Western series proper, then this sort of reunion might be the next best thing and could provide the necessary closure that so many feel is lacking from the franchise. Though Baccarin seems pretty uninterested in returning to "Firefly," she did note that she'd likely consider another feature film in the same vein as "Serenity," which gives us enough hope to keep soaring.
Ron Glass' death impacts the future
Although Summer Glau — whose acting career has slowed down a bit in recent years — is torn on returning for a "Firefly" reunion, the actress noted at her FAN EXPO Canada panel that she'd probably have a change of heart if something actually happened. "Of course, if there was ever any kind of reboot, I would be there with bells on," she told fans. "I wouldn't be able to stay away."
Likewise, both Jewel Staite and Gina Torres (who played Mal's second-in-command Zoë Washburne) have expressed interest in returning for more, as did Sean Maher (who played the semi-official Serenity crew doctor Simon Tam). Even Adam Baldwin is willing to return, so long as he thinks the writing is good. So, with just about the entire cast on board, who could be missing?
On "Firefly," actor Ron Glass played Shepherd Derrial Book, a preacher with a mysterious past that was never revealed on screen. Book meets his fateful end in "Serenity," though his origins are eventually revealed in the 2010 limited comic series sub-titled "The Shepherd's Tale."
Sadly, Glass never saw a "Firefly" revival in his lifetime and died in 2016 of respiratory failure. Many of his former "Firefly" co-stars and Joss Whedon offered their condolences to Glass' family and memorialized him on social media, reminiscing about their time together aboard the Serenity. Without such a stoic shepherd to guide the Serenity, any future continuation would feel a little less complete.
Disney owns the franchise (and may be rebooting it)
In the late 2010s, Fox thought about pursuing a "Firefly" revival. It turns out, Fox exec Michael Thorn is a big fan of the series and, like many other fans, wants a revival. During that time Fox was reviving previous hits such as "24" and "The X-Files" for limited runs, and the network reportedly looked at bringing back the space Western, too.
"It had come up before," Thorn told The Wrap in 2020, just after Disney purchased 20th Century Fox. "But we had 'The Orville' on the air and it didn't make sense for us to have, as a broadcast network who is very targeted, to have two space franchises on our air."
Of course, "The Orville" soon moved to Hulu, which opened the door for a "Firefly" return, but Fox doesn't seem to have pursued it any further. While dubiously sourced, click-baity "rumors" of an in-development PG-rated "Firefly" reboot for Disney+ with a new cast and no involvement from Joss Whedon elicited all-too-predictable fan outrage, no new information, rumored or otherwise, has emerged regarding the matter since roughly 2021. Considering that Disney+ already has a popular space Western series you might've heard of called "The Mandalorian," The Mouse doesn't seem to have an immediate demand for more "Firefly."
Serenity takes flight again (on the page)
Tying into the release of "Serenity," Dark Horse Comics published a miniseries titled "Serenity: Those Left Behind" meant to fill in the gaps between the series and the feature film. This eventually led to two more limited comic series before catching up with the film's timeline. "Leaves on the Wind" was released in 2014 and was followed by "No Power in the 'Verse" in 2016, officially ending Dark Horse's comic book tenure with the franchise.
Since Joss Whedon and company penned Dark Horse's "Serenity" tales, they're considered more-or-less canon, filling in gaps from the show's run. Additionally, an ongoing series of "Firefly" novels have been published by Titan Books, with each story interweaving between the show's 14 episodes.
Then, in 2018, BOOM! Studios acquired the comic book rights and began releasing stories in the 'verse with their "Firefly" comic book rebrand. With input from Joss Whedon, writer Greg Pak crafted new adventures for the Serenity crew. Soon, a sequel series titled "All-New Firefly" was launched, ending in December 2022 with a one-shot titled "Big Damn Finale."
While it's unclear if we'll ever get a proper "Firefly" revival, the comics are (so far) the truest continuation of the short-lived space Western. While we hope that some other project, like a movie or an audio drama, could be produced somewhere down the line, one thing remains ever clear: "Firefly" may be gone, but no one can take the sky away.