New Firefly series confirmed – but not as hoped

Now the secret is out: "Firefly" is to be continued. Not as a live-action series, however, but as an animated series. This was revealed by "Firefly" lead actor Nathan Fillion during the Awesome Con in Washington, D.C., as reported by Deadline.

In the days leading up to the event, there was much speculation among fans after Fillion repeatedly posted new Instagram videos with his former co-stars. In the clips, there were repeated references to "Firefly", suggesting that some form of revival could be in the works (we reported). The short-lived science fiction series was canceled in 2002 after just a few episodes, but still enjoys cult status today. The fans' greatest hope: a live-action sequel in the form of a new series or a feature film with the original cast from back then. These hopes have now finally vanished into thin air. With the planned animated series, however, there will at least be further adventures for the spaceship crew around Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds, who was played by Fillion in the series.

Original actors from Firefly as voice actors

But that's not all. The original actors are to be on board as voice actors for the new series. In addition to Fillion, these are Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Jewel Staite, Sean Maher and Summer Glau, who all appeared together with Fillion at Awesome Con. Adam Baldwin was not there, but is also set to take part as a voice actor. Only Ron Glass, who passed away in 2016 at the age of 71, is missing from the ensemble of main actors at the time.

Fillion is also involved in the new series with his production company Collision33. Marc Guggenheim and Tara Butters are responsible as showrunners. A script is said to have already been completed. Series creator Joss Whedon will not be involved in the animated remake. However, Fillion confirmed that Whedon had given the new series his blessing. In terms of content, the animated adventures will be set between the events of the original series and the events of the 2005 movie sequel "Serenity".

Fillion explains to Deadline:

"The dedication of 'Firefly' fans has kept this 25-year-old show relevant. Clearly, the return of 'Firefly' is something the fans want. More importantly, it's something they deserve."

Canceled on TV, continued in the cinema

The original series is set in the year 2517 and focuses on the crew of the spaceship Serenity. It is led by Captain Reynolds, who was on the side of the later losers in the war and now fights with his crew for daily survival. There are only fourteen TV episodes of "Firefly" in total. From the very beginning, the broadcaster Fox made it particularly difficult for the series to become a ratings success. Some episodes were not broadcast in the correct order. This included the pilot, which is a much-needed introduction, as it establishes the premise and carefully introduces the characters.

Despite the early cancellation, series creator Whedon managed to continue the story, which was originally planned to run for several years, in the form of the feature film "Serenity", which he wrote and directed and was released in cinemas in 2005. This at least brought some of the central storylines to a satisfying conclusion, even if not everything was told. However, there were no further sequels in the form of TV series or films. Instead, a number of comic spin-offs were produced over the years, which expanded the franchise with further stories.