After learning of the Sci Fi Channel’s Firefly marathon yesterday, I decided I could think of no better way to spend a Friday than by reminding myself how much I like Joss Whedon and the characters he creates.
So I spent the day reacquainting myself with Firefly. The only wrench in this system came when all the episodes had aiered. I was left wanting more. I simply cannot get enough of quirky mechanic Kaylee, cool-as-ice-but-vulnerable consort Inara, weird and wacky River, or tough-as-nails and second-in-command Zoe. And, yeah, the boys aren’t bad either.
What I want, ultimately, is a sequel to Serenity, Whedon’s big-screen wrap-up to the TV series. Seems Mr. Whedon is not against the idea. Talk of a sequel has been ongoing since the movie was released. And while such talk has cooled, it’s never really disappeared entirely. We sci-fi fans don’t tend to let go easily. With the new and improved DVD edition scheduled for release in the not-too-distant future, the sequel talk has resurfaced. Comments made by Joss in the newest round of chatter indicate that getting all of his actors back together for such a sequel might prove difficult, based on their current workload. Now, I consider myself a TV-phile, but I can’t recall seeing his troops in any starring roles lately. So I decided to check in to see what they’ve all been up to.
Let’s start with the leader of the pack, Capatin Malcolm Reynolds, played by Nathan Fillion. Since the 2005 release of Serenity, Fillion has made a guest appearance on Desperate Housewives and had one of the leads in the canceled TV series Drive. He’s also starred in some movies I’ve never heard of, most notably White Noise 2: The Light, which also boasted Katee Sackhoff and Teryl Rothery of Battlestar Galactica and Stargate: SG-1, respectively. So, Fillion is clearly working, but I’d wager he could be pulled away for more Serenity.
What about Adam Baldwin, who played Serenity‘s muscleman, Jayne Cobb? He’s been a bit busier, with a guest spot on Bones and a regular spot on Taye Diggs’ canceled series Day Break. He’s also completed filming on a new Mathew Modine flick, Little Fish, Strange Pond, which is slated for a 2008 release. He provided the voice for Superman in the new animated Superman: Doomsday, which is slated for release in September. (Anne Heche provided the voice of Lois Lane, and James Marsters gave voice to Lex Luther.) Plus, Baldwin started filming a new project called Gospel Hill in June of this year. That film also includes Julia Stiles, Danny Glover and Angela Basset. All right: It might take a bit more persuading to get Baldwin on board.
Sean Maher played the protective older brother and doctor, Simon Tam. He looks to have some time on his hands. Other than a guest appearance on Ghost Whisperer and a TV movie called Wedding Wars, he’s been surprisingly absent. I’m going to guess he would be willing to fill Simon’s shoes again.
The secretive Shepherd Book, as portrayed by Ron Glass, gets the next look. And the answer here? He’s free. Unless he’s doing a ton of work on the stage rather than in film, which is entirely possible, he’s been awfully quiet since Serenity. He had a guest spot on Shark as a judge, but that’s about it.
I know. Those of you who have seen the movie are squirming right now. Wash met an unfortunate and untimely end in the flick, but we all know how well Joss brings people back from the dead. But Alan Tudyk, who played Wash, has been a bit busy. He had a role in Knocked Up, and he’s in a new western starring Russell Crowe, 3:10 to Yuma, set to open in September. The likelihood of Wash’s resurrection isn’t great.
So, the boys appear mostly free and clear. Sign ’em up, Joss! But what about the ladies?
Morena Baccarin played the lovable consort to perfection, and she’s had steady gigs since Serenity flew away.
She’s appeared on everything from Stargate: SG-1 to How I Met Your Mother. She’s also a series regular on Heartland, a medical drama starring Treat Williams that films in Canada. Maybe we can convince Joss to fly north to film the sequel.
Gina Torres is one busy lady.
Since playing Zoe Washburne, she’s appeared all over the place, including The Shield, Without a Trace and Alias. She also had a regular role in the now canceled Standoff. (Am I sensing a theme here? That’s three series regulars from Firefly, and all three of their new series have been canceled.) She played opposite Chris Rock in I Think I Love My Wife and has a role in the upcoming South of Pico, which sounds an awful lot like a Crash wannabe. Here’s the thing, though: Torres was just as busy when Serenity was filmed. So I’m going to say she’s gettable.
My favorite mechanic, played by Jewel Staite, must be back in order to keep the rusty old bucket of bolts Mal calls a ship from crashing.
Based on what I found, Staite should be available. She had a multi-episode guest spot on Stargate: Atlantis, but not much else. She is currently filming some action horror thing called The Tribe with a whole bunch of people I’ve never heard of before. I say when The Tribe is wrapped, Joss needs to snap her up.
Houston, we have a problem. Summer Glau is otherwise occupied at the moment.
Seems she managed to land herself a role opposite Lena Headey in The Sarah Connor Chronicles. She plays the newest version of the Terminator, named Cameron – ugh. Name aside, I would like to see this series last a while, rather than succumb to the apparent Firefly curse.
We can always hope for more of Joss Whedon’s wit and wisdom via new creations. I, for one, hope he also finds time to revisit his old stomping ground aboard a failing spaceship whose crew never failed to entertain me.
