Some actors would love to return to the roles that made them famous, but Hollywood studios
don’t always get on board.
Why won't they make a "Blossom" reunion?
How come "Star Trek" has frozen out Kirk and Worf?
Keep watching to find out!
Raunchy comedian Tim Allen turned heads in 1991 when he starred as the decidedly non-raunchy
Tim Taylor, host of the fictional home renovation show "Tool Time," in the family sitcom "Home
Improvement."
It became one of the biggest television hits of the 90's, running 8 seasons and launching
Allen to superstardom.
The actor would go on to become the voice of "Toy Story" spaceman Buzz Lightyear and
receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
More recently, he headlined the sitcom "Last Man Standing," another family sitcom that
ran for 9 seasons.
But despite that, the one role he longs to return to is Tim Taylor.
In 2020, Allen told "TVLine,"
"I always think about it, because I still talk to everybody involved.
[...] I like the idea of doing it as a one-off, like a one-hour movie.
I like the idea of finding out where the boys are now, and where...
'Tool Time' would be in today's world.
I just think it's a marvelous idea, and all the actors think it's a great idea."
At least he was able to bring him back for one episode of "Last Man Standing!"
Liam Neeson was already an award winning Hollywood star when he took the part of Qui Gon Jinn,
the wise, sagely Jedi Master to apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi in George Lucas' 1999 hit "Star
Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace."
Unfortunately, Qui Gon would be killed off in the movie's exciting climax, providing
a devastating emotional ending.
But nothing ever really ends.
In 2020, when Disney's "Obi Wan Kenobi" standalone streaming series began filming with Ewan McGregor,
rumors began swirling that we could also see Neeson return as Qui Gon Jinn, this time as
a "Force Ghost" — the mystical spirit of a dead Jedi that fans have previously seen
in the "Star Wars" saga.
Asked about a possible return for his character, Neeson denied the rumors, but said with a
big smile that he would love to come back.
Considering he's reprised the role before, for the "Clone Wars" animated series, the
idea that he might return to live action makes sense - if scenes with a ghost can be called
"live" action.
Scott Bakula recently wrapped a seven season stint as Dwayne Pride on "NCIS: New Orleans,"
but he probably wouldn't have a career if not for his iconic role as physicist and unwitting
time traveler Sam Beckett in the memorable ABC adventure series, "Quantum Leap."
As the amnesia-stricken scientist displaced in time, Beckett "leapt" into the life of
a different person each week, with Bakula flexing his acting chops by essentially playing
a different character every episode.
Beckett used his moral imperative to fix the past and put right what once went wrong, battling
injustice and saving lives week after week for five seasons, until the show ended its
run in May of 1993.
Bakula has been talking about a potential revival for "Quantum Leap" for nearly twenty
years.
More recently, when he appeared on Bob Saget's podcast "Here For You," he seemed to suggest
that it may be coming sooner rather than later, telling Saget,
"There are very significant conversations about it right now going on.
I don't know what it would be.
I don't know who would have it.
The rights were a mess for years.
I don't know if they're even sorted out now.
That's always been the biggest complication."
For seven years Michael Dorn played the stoic Klingon warrior Lieutenant Worf on the "Star
Trek" franchise revival, "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
From there, Dorn would make the leap to the big screen, appearing in four "Next Generation"
feature films.
And in an attempt to boost ratings, the "Star Trek" spinoff "Deep Space Nine" saw him reprise
his role and be back on the small screen for its final four years, making Michael Dorn
the actor with the most appearances in "Star Trek" history.
You'd think 277 episodes and 4 movies would be enough for the actor, especially under
all that heavy makeup, but Dorn has been campaigning to return as an older, wiser, Captain Worf
since at least 2012.
Only in 2017, when CBS launched "Star Trek: Discovery," and began building an entire universe
of "Star Trek" spinoffs for their streaming service, did the idea of headlining his own
show really become a possibility, and Dorn is excited about what it could mean.
In 2021, Dorn sat down with "TrekMovie.com" and said he was even able to meet with Paramount
and pitch his proposed series that would see Worf take the captain's chair aboard a Klingon
ship.
"Basically, the script I wrote was, instead of looking at the Klingon Empire from Starfleet,
we look at Starfleet from the Klingon Empire."
It sounds like a compelling idea, and the actor is clearly frustrated by Paramount's
seeming lack of interest.
"I chuckle because sometimes I think that they are going, 'You know, we need something
on this [streaming app] 'We need somebody that's done more "Star Trek" than anybody.
God, who do you think?'
'What about Michael Dorn?'
'No, he's not right.'"
Jon Bernthal came to fame on "The Walking Dead," but it was when he made the jump to
the Marvel Universe, debuting on "Daredevil" as Frank Castle, AKA Marvel's "The Punisher,"
that he was gifted with perhaps his most iconic role.
His stint in the second season of the Netflix drama was met with praise from critics, and
a spin-off became a no-brainer.
This ran for two seasons before contract issues between Netflix and Marvel prompted its conclusion.
Rumor has it that Marvel may bring back Bernthal and Punisher in the upcoming Disney+ series
"Echo."
In 2021, Bernthal told “Forbes” that he didn't know whether those rumors were true
or not, but he hoped so.
He said,
"Honestly, I have no idea.
That isn't just the standard [answer].
[...] I just don't think the question is about whether they're going to do it, it's going
to be about how they do it and whether we can do it in a way the character and the fans
deserve [...] as far as going on in the future, it's a character that I really feel like that
I have in my bones and in my heart."
Mads Mikkelson was already a star and had at least one iconic role under his belt — as
the villain in the James Bond blockbuster "Casino Royale" — when he took on the part
of Hannibal Lecter in the small screen adaptation of Thomas Harris' long running series.
Created by showrunner Bryan Fuller, "Hannibal" was a reimagining of the characters featured
in the hit novels "Red Dragon," and "Silence Of The Lambs".
It was set before the stories in the books, fleshing out the relationship between young
FBI agent Will Graham and psychologist Hannibal Lecter.
In the hit TV series, the latter half of the third season had already translated "Red Dragon"
in its entirety, and everyone was gearing up for a potential fourth season that would
feature Hannibal helping Graham hunt down a new serial killer named Buffalo Bill - the
main antagonist in "Silence of the Lambs" - when the series was abruptly canceled.
There has long been talk of a revival to finish that part of the story, and Mikkelson has
said that he's ready, willing, and waiting, telling “Vulture,”
"I would love to go back.
Everybody wants to go back, and if there's only one season and we're sure about that,
[Bryan Fuller] can finish it in a proper, surprising, stunning way."
Karl Urban is fortunate enough to have inhabited several major roles in his career, from "The
Lord of The Rings" to "Star Trek."
But it's his lone appearance in 2012's "Dredd" that has him itching to return to a different
fan-favorite role — that of violent future peacekeeper Judge Dredd.
Though the film didn't soar at the box office, it has become a cult classic, and attempts
to make a sequel have been stop-and-go for the better part of a decade, with Urban himself
campaigning for more.
In August of 2020, he talked to "Screen Geek" about bringing Dredd back with the same group
who made the first one.
"I've gone on the record before saying that I would love to come back and be a part of
that world and tell more Dredd stories.
There is just a plethora of great, great stories within the Judge Dredd universe.
[...] And if I get the opportunity [...] you can bet your bottom dollar I will be there
–- because I think that it would be just a real[ly] rich and rewarding experience for,
not only for us to collaborate, but for the fans."
"I am the law."
In 1993 Warner Bros. created "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," making star
Dean Cain a household name.
Also starring Teri Hatcher as Lois Lane, the series ran for four years and nearly 90 episodes,
but it's probably more important to television history for its unique mix of family drama,
comic book action, and soap opera tone that set a new standard for the genre.
In 2019, Cain spoke to " Entertainment Tonight" about the possibility of a return as Clark
Kent and the Man of Steel, saying of a possible revival of the series,
"I would love to see that happen because I think we ended on the weirdest note ever and
so we've talked about it and I would love to see what they are doing 25 years later,
and I'd love to see that situation.
I've already started writing little bits and pieces down, so we'll see if I can convince
someone to make six, 10, 12 episodes."
There was a time in the career of William Shatner that he may not have fully embraced
his fame as James T. Kirk.
So when the producers of "Star Trek: Generations" wished to bring Kirk back one last time and
kill off Captain Kirk in the process, Shatner seemingly had no qualms, seeming ready to
say goodbye to the character.
But he apparently regretted the decision to allow his character to die, because in 1995
he co-wrote the first in a series of novels that brought Kirk back from the dead, and
has, for the better part of the last two decades, campaigned for a return to the franchise that
made him famous.
In 2004, Shatner himself suggested an idea to producers of "Star Trek: Enterprise" that
would have seen him return as an alternate reality version of Kirk, and in 2008 he expressed
dissatisfaction with J.J.
Abrams for bringing back Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock, but not himself as Kirk.
In 2017, with the new series "Star Trek: Discovery" debuting, Shatner said all it would take to
get him to return would be, quote, "a great deal of money," and while that may not seem
like a great deal of enthusiasm, he recently remarked that he'd love to come back as Kirk
for the upcoming movie scheduled for 2023.
Live long and prosper, Captain Kirk!
The "Harry Potter" film series catapulted a number of young actors to superstardom,
from Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson to Robert Pattinson, the next Batman.
But actor Tom Felton found in the series a career-making role as the slimy Draco Malfoy.
His appearances in all eight "Harry Potter" movies built a solid foundation for the young
thespian to build a career, and he has since been seen in "Rise of The Planet Of The Apes"
and CW's "The Flash."
But if there's one role that Felton wants to play again, it's definitely Draco Malfoy,
who we last saw in "Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part II" in 2011.
Actually, he'd settle for any Malfoy.
In June of 2021, Felton spoke to "People Magazine" about his legacy as the famous Slytherin,
and his response to a query about potential interest in playing the role again was met
with nothing less than unbridled enthusiasm.
"If you're asking me will I dye my hair blonde again to be Draco, abso-bloody-lutely.
Either [as Draco or Lucius.
I'll play Draco's kid if you really want!
[...] any chance to be a Malfoy again would be greatly accepted."
Patton Oswalt has a long career that encompasses everything from sitcoms to big budget feature
films, and many years of stand-up comedy.
Perhaps what makes him unique among many of his peers is that he is a fan in addition
to being an actor.
After years working in Hollywood, Oswalt now has enough of a career that he can pick and
choose his roles, with a tendency to select projects he's already a fan of, such as his
role on "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD."
So it goes without saying that when Oswalt expresses excitement for a role it comes from
a sincere place, especially when it's one he's already done before.
And the part he seems most keen to revisit is Pixar's "Ratatouille," the animated epic
about a rodent chef in Paris.
In an interview with "Deadline," Oswalt was asked if he would ever have interest in a
Ratatouille series or a movie sequel.
"Oh absolutely.
Any sequel to 'Ratatouille' hinges on Brad Bird coming up with an idea that he likes
and would want to pursue.
I love that Pixar goes with the pace of the creators.
They wait until something amazing happens.
So, if he drew up something, that would mean that a truly big inspiration had hit him and
he wants to do it.
I would absolutely run and do that."
Henry Cavill's debut as Superman in the 2013 film "Man Of Steel" was nearly a decade in
the making.
Cavill had auditioned for Bryan Singer's "Superman Returns", however that movie would eventually
cast Brandon Routh in the title role.
But fate was kind to the young actor, for the rejection made his casting in Zack Snyder's
DC film possible.
He then returned to the role in "Justice League" and "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice."
"Find him!
Save Martha!!"
But given that a new "Superman" film was recently announced, and it’s meant to feature a new,
Black Man of Steel, does that mean Cavill's time in tights is over?
Not necessarily.
Cavill told “The Hollywood Reporter” that he feels like he has unfinished business,
especially when it comes to Superman killing General Zod at the end of "Man of Steel."
"There is still a lot of storytelling for me to do as a Superman, and I would absolutely
love the opportunity.
[...] There's an opportunity for growth after that, to explore the psyche of Superman as
a deep, seemingly invulnerable god-like being but with real feeling on the inside.
As I always say, the cape is still in the closet."
Mayim Bialik may be best known today as Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler, neuroscientist and geeky
love interest for Sheldon on "The Big Bang Theory."
But long before her stint on "The Big Bang Theory," Bialik was better known as Blossom,
the smart, sassy, eccentric teen with a unique fashion sense.
Far from the awkward Amy, Blossom was a cool and funky, emotionally self-aware teen who
dished out wisdom and advice each week.
"Blossom" was a slow starter in the ratings but eventually became a hit, running five
years on NBC, where it got good reviews for its touching family stories about the life
of a 90s teenager.
Save for a handful of voice acting roles, Bialik left acting after "Blossom" ended its
run to pursue her education, eventually earning her PhD in 2007.
But now that Bialik is back acting, starring in shows like the Fox sitcom "Call Me Kat,"
she wouldn't mind returning to where it all began for her.
In fact, she's been working closely with "Blossom" creator Don Reo to develop a new "Blossom"
show, but so far hasn't been able to find a home for the project.
Bialik told “Entertainment Weekly,”
"Don Reo and I do have a limited reboot that we would like to do.
[But] we've had a lot of trouble getting our network on board."
So what would we find Blossom up to 30 years later?
Bialik says she'd probably be
"...a civil rights attorney or someone working with children who were removed from their
homes.
She'd be doing something humanitarian."
In the 1997 James Bond spoof "Austin Powers, International Man of Mystery," 23 year old
Seth Green had a memorable role as the more ordinary son of the hero's super villain nemesis,
Dr. Evil.
Appearing in both sequels, the character of Scott Evil at first resents — and even mocks
— his father's choice to try to get rich or take over the world through hair-brained
schemes.
"I hate you!
I hate you!
I wish I was never artificially created in a lab!"
Over the course of the trilogy, though, the father and son eventually find common ground,
and the young mastermind eventually comes to embrace his destiny and become a super
villain himself in the final film of the series.
In the final moments of "Goldmember," Scott Evil takes his father's place as the enemy
of Austin Powers and implies a continued threat to the British super spy.
Audiences assumed this was a hint at a fourth film, but a third sequel never materialized,
and 20 years after the last film released in 2002, fans are still waiting.
And apparently, so is Green, who was asked about a possible sequel by "The Observer"
in 2021.
Green said,
"My position is the same: I love those movies and it's one of the most special and awesome
things I've ever gotten to be a part of.
But the creation of new stuff rests solely on Mike Myers' interest or willingness to
make something and I don't know that that's something he wants to do.
With that said, if there was an idea, I would go back for it.
It was so much fun just to hang out with that gang.
I think any of us would do it."
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