Quantum Leap Finally Bringing Back Scott Bakula? Showrunner Reacts
The Quantum Leap reboot could be bringing back Scott Bakula in the role of Sam Beckett.
Ever since television fans found out about the new Quantum Leap series, there has been one question that has been asked over and over and over again: will Scott Bakula be making an appearance on the show? The new series has proven that it can stand on its own two feet and has been renewed for a season two.
But the answer to this incessant question is still basically, according to CinemaBlend, “We don’t know.” In the words of showrunner Martin Gero, “The door’s always open,” but there’s no clear answer about whether Scott Bakula will choose to walk through it or not.
Gero continues: “Look, I mean, the show is a direct sequel, right? Tied to the old one in a way that we’re trying to be as referential as possible. We are obviously huge fans of the original [Quantum Leap] and we welcome [Scott Bakula’s] involvement. But I think he has kind of wished us well and has been so beautiful about it. It’s really up to him and his comfort. This is a very different show than the one he made, you know?”
One thing that we do know the answer to, though, is that there will never be another actor stepping into the role of Sam Beckett. When asked if Quantum Leap would recast this role if Scott Bakula doesn’t agree to come back, Gero was very clear that there is only one person who could ever play Sam Beckett. “Scott Bakula is the reason why that character is so iconic. It would be crazy of us [to recast him] and mad disrespectful. So, we wouldn’t do that.”
So, if Quantum Leap sees the return of Sam Beckett, who, as true fans of the original show can tell you, he will be played by Scott Bakula, not any other acton. As we know, the character never leapt home in the series finale and is theoretically still bouncing around from life to life, trying to right things that went wrong.
The only problem is, there is still no clear answer about whether this new Quantum Leap series will see the return of Scott Bakula’s character at all. When asked about it before the first season premiered, Scott Bakula said that it was a tough decision to make, but that he would not be making an appearance on the show. He did, however, wish everyone on the new show the best of luck, which implies that it has his blessing even if it doesn’t have his iconic character.
In fact, it could even be better if this new Quantum Leap series didn’t see Scott Bakula return. While the show is a direct sequel to the original, it doesn’t want to be defined by it. The series brought in a whole new group of characters with all new storylines and all new ideas. So to bring back Sam Beckett would be a step backward, in a way. The show does often pay homage to the original, but it doesn’t want to be the original.
That being said, Quantum Leap’s bringing back Scott Bakula would be a fantastic way to get some really high ratings for an episode… so maybe they will save this trump card for when the show really needs a boost.
