Shortly after Fox announced their new series 24: Legacy, there were rumors that Kiefer Sutherland would return as his iconic character Jack Bauer in a cameo role. The show centers on a completely new character, Corey Antonio Hawkins’ Eric Carter, but many fans had hoped that Jack Bauer would be back in at least a smaller capacity. Today we have word from Kiefer Sutherland that Jack Bauer may in fact return one day, but it will only be in the long-awaited 24 movie.
Adweek caught up with Kiefer Sutherland, who is promoting his new ABC series Designated Survivor, which premieres Wednesday, September 21 at 10 PM ET on ABC. The actor confirmed that there is “absolutely no plan” to appear as Jack Bauer, but if he does return as this beloved character, “it will not ever be a series again.” Here’s what he had to say, when asked if we would never see Jack Bauer again.
“I know never to say that. It doesn’t mean that we can’t make the [long-in-the-works] 24 film. It’s a character that I love until the day I die.”
There had been a 24 movie in the works for several years, with Antoine Fuqua attached to direct at one point, although he revealed in 2013 that the movie was “dead.” A report surfaced in 2014 that a new take on the 24 movie was brewing through Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment, but that was the last we heard about a 24 movie. Mark Romanek (Never Let Me Go, One Hour Photo) had been attached to write the script several years ago.
Kiefer Sutherland did sign on to serve as an executive producer of 24: Legacy, which debuts in February after the Super Bowl. The actor has said in the past that he is “done” with the 24 series while holding out hope that Jack Bauer can return on the big screen. It’s possible that, if 24: Legacy is a hit, it could help push the development of a 24 movie forward.