Following the news that Fox is looking to reopen The X-Files, chairman Dana Walden has revealed that the network is also in discussions for another instalment of 24, although it looks Kiefer Sutherland’s Jack Bauer could be absent from the next season.
“We have discussed it with him. We talk to Kiefer all the time,” said Walden at the TCA press tour (via EW). “He’s a great creative partner, potentially he won’t be in this installment. We’re not sure yet. We’re not that far along, but I know he supports us doing more 24. First of all, we’re not talking about continuing the show without him. We’re talking about whether there’s one installment that he’s not in. I think if the storytelling is exciting enough, that real-time element that the show really owns–so many of the production aspects are so unique to that show–I do [think we could do it without him]. I think [it could be] great characters with that creative team. I look at everyone that’s surrounded Kiefer in the last installment and I think it could work. [The pitch for the new season] was very early in the origin stages and it could’ve gone either way. Jack Bauer could come in very organically in the story, or [producers are] prepared to do something that would be the one installment without him.”
We’ve previously posted a couple of articles discussing the possibility of 24 continuing without Jack Bauer [see Could 24 Continue with Yvonne Strahovski? and Five Reasons Why 24 Doesn’t Need Jack Bauer] – and judging from the comments on those posts, “24 is Jack Bauer”, so would you watch the new season if Sutherland is absent? Let us know your thoughts…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuCo68oUI6U&list=PL18yMRIfoszH_jfuJoo8HCG1-lGjvfH2F&feature=player_embedded
Originally published January 18, 2015. Updated January 18, 2020.
