Kiefer Sutherland Gives Big Update on ’24’ Reboot

Kiefer Sutherland is giving 24 fans hope for the return of Jack Bauer.

Sutherland, who played the federal agent for eight seasons of the Fox hit drama, revealed in an interview with Montreal Now’s Aaron Rand Wednesday that there had been some kind of revival written that was “really strong” and would wrap up Bauer’s storyline.

“[24 showrunner and executive producer] Howard Gordon has come up with an idea that I like,” Sutherland revealed. “Before, the material had not been written, so I would have to say, ‘I’m not the one that’s in the way.’ [But] something has been written. I think it’s really good. I think it’s really strong.”

While Sutherland didn’t go into any other details about the possible reboot, he did reveal there was a potential roadblock ahead.

“24 was originally with Fox,” he explained. “Now it’s owned by Disney because of what Fox has sold off, and so it has to go through different channels before it’s either approved or disapproved.”

Sutherland continued, “Like everybody else, it’s something I would really like to do. I would like to close that story. It was left kind of wide open. So, fingers crossed. There’s a chance. We’ve taken some considerable steps forward.”

Sutherland played Bauer on the popular action series, famous for its real-time narrative style, from 2001 to 2010, also appearing in the 2008 TV movie 24: Redemption and 2014’s 24: Live Another Day. The show also starred Mary Lynn Rajskub, Elisha Cuthbert, Carlos Bernard, Cherry Jones, William Devane and Kim Raver.

Fans last saw Bauer taken into Russian custody, which Gordon told Variety in 2016 was in opposition to Sutherland’s own wishes for his character.

“Kiefer actually wanted Bauer to die, and we had many conversations about it…many of us, including his agent, tried to talk him out of it, but then there was an edict from very high up [within Fox] and Jack Bauer is still alive,” Gordon said at the time, noting that the actor was ready to “do something different.”