How Nathan Fillion Felt After Firefly Was Canceled

Fox’s beloved but short-lived sci-fi series “Firefly” only flew for 14 episodes, but those episodes (and the sequel film “Serenity”) were more than enough to establish a fandom that absolutely refuses to let the sky be taken away from them. Joss Whedon’s seminal sci-fi Western enjoys the kind of enduring legacy few others can, though series star Nathan Fillion (who played Captain Malcolm Reynolds) was concerned that, after news of the show’s fate arrived, the mood on set would immediately deflate.

“We had three more days of shooting after we were canceled and I remember thinking, ‘This is going to be the worst,'” Fillion revealed in a 2016 interview with The Hollywood Reporter. However, he soon discovered that the opposite was true. “It turned out to be amazing,” the actor explained. “Everyone was determined to squeeze any last remaining drops of joy we could get from this wonderful experience. I was really impressed with how people pulled together.”

Even all these years later, “Firefly” continues to inspire its devoted fans. As recently as 2023, former “Firefly” star Jewel Staite told TVLine that she gets asked about the show constantly — though she personally feels that an “L.A. Complex” revival is more likely than the return of “Firefly.” Likewise, when the news dropped that Staite joined the cast of “Resident Alien” alongside Alan Tudyk, a reunion was the first thing that came to mind.

Part of the actors’ continuing association with “Firefly” stems from the show’s enduring cultural legacy, of course. Fans have hoped for years that the Serenity would soar once again, though that continues to look increasingly unlikely as time goes on. Still, the way the cast members have so openly held “Firefly” close to their hearts likely plays a part in retaining the show’s allure.

“We all had what I would call my dream job,” Fillion explained in the aforementioned interview. “It was the perfect position. Everything was great. Even the challenges we faced, we faced them together.” It’s no wonder that many of Fillion’s post-“Firefly” projects, especially his work on ABC’s “Castle,” often include references to his short-lived space adventure.

In fact, many of Fillion’s former “Firefly” co-stars have appeared opposite him in either “Castle” or “The Rookie,” including Tudyk, Staite, Gina Torres, Sean Maher, Summer Glau, and Adam Baldwin. However you frame it, an unbreakable bond was formed. As one of those sci-fi series that was canceled way too soon, we still think fondly on “Firefly.”