What This New Firefly News Means

Joss Whedon‘sFirefly has become an almost mythic story of a beloved sci-fi series that was discovered too late, after Fox had already axed it from the airwaves after just one season in 2002. Whedon’s 2005 film adaptation of the series, Serenity, did modestly well, and has a loyal cult following; it has always seemed as though the Firefly franchise was poised for a comeback – and now, a first real chance to happen may have come around.

Fox President Of Entertainment David Madden recently said that the option for the network to make more Firefly was “on the table,” provided that series creator Joss Whedon is onboard as showrunner.

That’s a big bombshell for all the Firefly fans out there (“Brown Coats” as they’re known) who have been hoping for this moment. So let’s discuss What This New Firefly News Means.

Ball in Whedon’s Court

Fox President Of Entertainment David Madden’s public statement claim with clear intention: the ball has been bounced into Joss Whedon’s court. Firefly can apparently continue if Whedon makes it happen. 

However, the question is: What will Whedon do about it? 

Reluctant to Return

Joss Whedon has been pretty consistent in saying that he’s not interested in returning to Firefly. If you want to count just how many times he’s said no, the guys at Polygon have spent the time tallying the quotes for you. Suffice to say: Whedon hasn’t ever really changed his stance on the matter. 

So does a Fox executive baiting him into returning actually have any real sway over Whedon?

Does This Change Anything?

It doesn’t seem likely that David Madden’s comments would do anything to affect Whedon’s decision one way or another, if we’re all being honest. After the Avengers movies, Whedon has plenty of industry clout. He could take on any number of big projects, or simply play in his own sandbox of ideas for awhile. 

The real question is where Whedon is at this point in his career path – and where he wants to go. He currently has a WWII horror movie in development, but beyond that, he’s not bogged down by any big projects. 

Joss has always been a “fans first” type of guy; it wouldn’t be too surprising if he finally just one day said “the hell with it,” and made more Firefly as a gift to the fanbase. And who knows: maybe that day is today…

The Cast is Ready

Hey, at least we know one thing: the cast of Firefly is ready to return! 

Sadly we lost actor Ron Glass recently, but other cast memebers like Gina Torres, Sean Maher, and Jewel Staite have all expressed their willingness to return. 

The biggest question mark seems to be series star Nathan Fillion; he’s made public statements that he’d like to return (see video below), but also that he thinks the series should just be appreciated for what it is, without continuation.

Of course, it’s Hollywood: with the right dump truck full of money, stars will always make a return to a popular franchise.  

Should It Continue

Firefly fans are you open to the series continuing? Or would trotting out the stars again (older now, possibly only half committed) seem like a sad depreciation of what the series currently is, in its “perfectly imperfect” way? 

More Firefly News: GENERAL UPDATES | Fox Willing to Continue Series | Ron Glass Dies | The Crazy Scene Whedon Never Got to Shoot | Serenity Comic Book