Firefly Reboot Moving Forward With A Key Piece Missing
It looks like the Firefly reboot is fully back on. But there's just one key person from the show's first run who won't be returning.
This article is more than 2 years old
Firefly fans have been jones-ing for a return to the show basically since the second the original one went off the air almost twenty years ago. And those same fans might be soon rewarded for their patience with Giant Freakin Robot recently having the exclusive that the show was going to soon get a reboot. According to insider Daniel Richtman, it looks like it’s still full steam ahead on that plan. There’s just one piece that will be missing. Joss Whedon isn’t coming along for the reboot ride.
It was reported a few months ago that Firefly, in the form of a reboot, was going to find a home soon Disney+. There hadn’t been much news on the development front since then likely with pieces being moved around concerning who would helm the show and take the story, possibly in a new direction. It would have stood to reason, at the time, that original series creator Joss Whedon would be there at the helm for any new story. And why not? Heck it was his program the first time around so the director would have likely been first in line with a new offering.
But the recent news around Joss Whedon is likely why Disney and company don’t want his name attached to this new Firefly reboot. The famed director has been embroiled in controversy for some time now after allegations surfaced about his treatment of actors and staff on the sets of various productions. A number of cast members from Buffy the Vampire Slayer came out admonishing Whedon’s treatment of others on set during the show’s run.
Additionally, actor Ray Fisher came out publicly back over the summer to blast Whedon for the latter’s actions on the set of Justice League. Whedon had taken over when Zack Snyder originally had to leave the production. Fisher called Whedon’s actions towards others many things, including “abusive”. This helped embolden others to come out against the director and is almost definitely the reason he’s not involved with this Firefly project.
Firefly consistently goes down as a program that was cut way too short and could have taken off with just a bit more of a fanbase and a little longer leash. But alas, the world of television back then was a harsh one. It originally came out in 2002 and lasted only 14 episodes on Fox. The space Western follows the crew of the Serenity, then helmed by Nathan Fillon’s Mal Reynolds on their many adventures. The original ratings were bad, but over the years it made something of a comeback in DVD sales after the show was canceled. Ever since fans have wanted it back.
With Joss Whedon out of the Firefly mix, we are likely to start getting more word about the potential reboot and what the series will look like on Disney+. It will be a long time coming for many science-fiction fans even if the original creator isn’t coming back this time around. The best things come to those who wait and that could be the case with this show.
