Alan Tudyk’s Hoban “Wash” Washburne was one of the characters you wouldn’t forget from Nathan Fillion’s Firefly. Even though the series ran just for a single season, it was enough for Malcolm Reynolds and his group of misfits aboard the Serenity to make people fall in love with them. Fillion, Tudyk, and the rest of the cast returned for Joss Whedon’s follow-up film, Serenity.
While Fox ruined the show during its original run with a messed-up release order, the show gained a cult status after people discovered Whedon’s intended vision. Fans have since been calling for a revival of the series, despite the film’s box office disappointment.
Alan Tudyk is all for a revival of the beloved series, but he would hate it for the reason that he wouldn’t be able to return to the series. If you have seen Serenity, you would know why Wash would be absent in any future Firefly projects from Whedon.
Alan Tudyk would hate to see a Firefly revival, despite expressing his support for it
Alan Tudyk played Hoban “Wash” Washburne, the pilot of Serenity and husband to the ship’s first mate, Zoë Alleyne Washburne, played by Gina Torres. Tudyk has been long vocal about a potential Firefly revival. He would love to see Joss Whedon and Nathan Fillion continue to build the amazing universe.
However, Tudyk shared that there was one thing that he hated about the Firefly revival series. When talking about his villainous turn in Wreck-It Ralph with HuffPost, Tudyk shared that he was always the unlucky one who couldn’t return to sequels. His character in Wreck-It Ralph dies at the end, meaning he couldn’t voice King Candy in future follow-up films.
He also couldn’t return to a Firefly revival or Serenity sequel because of his character’s fate. During the events of Serenity, a harpoon launched by a Reaver ship impaled Wash and killed him instantly. A memorial was erected on Mr. Universe’s moon and River Tam replaced him as the pilot of the ship. He shared with HuffPost:
Yeah, it sucks to be the one who can’t come back for the sequel. But getting nominated for an Annie — to get that sort of recognition from your peers — that does take away some of the sting.
Joss Whedon had previously mentioned during other interviews that he would’ve kept Wash alive if Firefly were renewed for more seasons. It makes his absence even sadder, knowing that there was a chance that he could’ve appeared in a potential revival.
Alan Tudyk even had an idea for a Firefly revival
Alan Tudyk opened up about a potential Firefly revival during an interview with Esquire in 2015. Not only did Tudyk stand in support of a revival series today, but he also had an idea for how the series would be brought back. In his Western-inspired plotline, Tudyk shared that Nathan Fillion’s Mal Reynolds can be roped back into his old ways for one final mission.
However, at the time, Tudyk shared that the viewers had to wait for another 10 years for his idea to work. Tudyk’s inspiration for such a plot comes from several Western films, the most prominent of which would be Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven. Tudyk’s idea of an aged Mal returning to his smuggling career is a pretty intriguing storyline. He shared with Esquire:
We can pick up with Captain Mal, living on a moon somewhere … You showed me this idea, Nathan. Was it a fan fiction or something? Anyway, it picks up in another 10 years, so Mal’s going to be a little bit older. And someone comes knocking on his door and says, ‘You’re needed.’ Really, you just need the Captain. Then he can put the band back together. And you’re going to need some young people, because at that point you’re going to be old.
Unfortunately, there are many factors that work against the show being made. Nathan Fillion, Morena Baccarin, Gina Torres, and Tudyk have all gone on to build great careers for themselves and are actively part of successful projects. Moreover, the show creator, Whedon, has since fallen from grace after he allegedly treated actresses on his set poorly.
Firefly is now available for streaming on Hulu.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
