Quantum Leap reboot showrunner explains whether one character will be recast
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Quantum Leap showrunner Martin Gero has opened up about the possibility of recasting Scott Bakula's Sam in the upcoming second season — and the TV boss has assured fans that won't happen.
The original Quantum Leap began in 1989 and ended with a much-maligned finale in 1993 that didn't give fans an answer as to whether Sam found his way home after all.
Fans of this reboot have been hoping to see Sam on screen and Gero opened up to Cinema Blend about this possibility. However, he said in no uncertain terms that they would not cast a new actor as Sam in order to get the character on screen.
Related: NBC’s Quantum Leap reboot gets future revealed beyond season 1
"No, no, no, no, no. I’ll never. You know, we don’t say, ‘Oh, boy,’–there are some things that are sacrosanct. We would never hire another actor to play that role," Gero said.
"Scott Bakula is the reason why that character is so iconic. It would be crazy of us and mad disrespectful. So, we wouldn’t do that."
Gero did talk about the possibility of Bakula coming back in some way as the character, though, and explained that his reboot is a direct sequel to the original series.
Related: Lord of the Rings star's Moonhaven series cancelled despite previous renewal news
"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 show and we welcome his 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," Bakula said.
"This is a very different show than the one he made, you know? The door’s always open. But for us, more importantly, is to stand on our own two feet while being deeply respectful to the show that [brought] us basically."
The reboot is set 30 years after Sam disappeared into the central time machine and follows Dr Ben Song (Raymond Lee) trying to figure out the machine's mysterious past. It also stars Cowboy Bebop’s Mason Alexander Park, Nanrisa Lee and Ernie Hudson, and Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Susan Diol, who returns from the original show as Beth Calavicci.
Quantum Leap airs on Monday nights on NBC. All five seasons of the original series are available to watch on Sky Go in the UK.
You Might Also Like
