{"id":15866,"date":"2026-07-24T16:31:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T11:31:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=15866"},"modified":"2026-07-24T16:31:01","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T11:31:01","slug":"24-years-later-nathan-fillion-is-playing-the-opposite-of-his-firefly-role","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=15866","title":{"rendered":"24 Years Later, Nathan Fillion Is Playing The Opposite Of His Firefly Role"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>It&#8217;s been 24 years since Nathan Fillion starred as Mal Reynolds in <em>Firefly<\/em>, and one of his upcoming shows is going to flip his cult-classic character on his head. While Nathan Fillion has been drawing attention lately thanks to his role in <em>The Rookie<\/em>, that was far from the start of his career. One of <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/nathan-fillion-best-movies-and-tv-shows-ranked\/\" target=\"_blank\">Fillion&#8217;s best shows<\/a> came quite early in his career, in Joss Whedon&#8217;s <em>Firefly<\/em>, a cult-classic series that is now considered one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/best-sci-fi-shows-all-time\/\" target=\"_blank\">best sci-fi shows ever made<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<p><em>Firefly<\/em> premiered in 2002 and only lasted a single season before being canceled, but its legacy has had much more staying power. The series got a sequel movie, <em>Serenity<\/em>, in 2005, and the cast of <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/firefly-reboot-animated-series-original-cast-return\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Firefly<\/em> is now reuniting for an animated reboot<\/a> series that&#8217;s currently in production. While it wasn&#8217;t initially popular, <em>Firefly<\/em> is one of Fillion&#8217;s most enduring and beloved shows, and Mal is one of his absolute best roles.<\/p>\n<p>Aside from the upcoming animated reboot, Fillion hasn&#8217;t done much with his most famous sci-fi role in the years since <em>Serenity<\/em> was released. Instead, he&#8217;s been focusing on other shows, most notably <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/the-rookie-season-9-status-release-date-cast-story-explained\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>The Rookie<\/em>, which is returning for its ninth season<\/a>. Now, however, Fillion is set to appear in <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/db\/tv-show\/lanterns\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em><strong>Lanterns<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, the upcoming DCU show focusing on the Green Lanterns, and it should give him a chance to play a character who is the exact opposite of Mal in <em>Firefly<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"lanterns-will-let-nathan-fillion-play-a-sci-fi-cop-24-years-after-he-played-a-sci-fi-outlaw\">\n                        Lanterns Will Let Nathan Fillion Play A Sci-Fi Cop 24 Years After He Played A Sci-Fi Outlaw<br \/>\n               <\/h2>\n<div class=\"body-img landscape \">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  image-expandable  img-article-item\" style=\"padding-bottom:50%\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/superman-extended-trailer-4k-ultra-hd-2025-4-39-screenshot-cropped.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n<figure><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/superman-extended-trailer-4k-ultra-hd-2025-4-39-screenshot-cropped.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/superman-extended-trailer-4k-ultra-hd-2025-4-39-screenshot-cropped.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/superman-extended-trailer-4k-ultra-hd-2025-4-39-screenshot-cropped.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/superman-extended-trailer-4k-ultra-hd-2025-4-39-screenshot-cropped.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/superman-extended-trailer-4k-ultra-hd-2025-4-39-screenshot-cropped.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/superman-extended-trailer-4k-ultra-hd-2025-4-39-screenshot-cropped.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"1650\" height=\"826\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner uses his Green Lantern powers in Superman.\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/superman-extended-trailer-4k-ultra-hd-2025-4-39-screenshot-cropped.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/superman-extended-trailer-4k-ultra-hd-2025-4-39-screenshot-cropped.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture><figcaption style=\"display: none;\">Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner uses his Green Lantern powers in Superman.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> One of the <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/lanterns-trailer-full-hbo-dc\/\" target=\"_blank\">trailers for <em>Lanterns<\/em><\/a> confirmed that Nathan Fillion will appear in the show, and that he&#8217;ll be reprising the role of Green Lantern Guy Gardner, whom he first portrayed in 2025&#8217;s <em>Superman<\/em>. It&#8217;s not yet clear how Guy Gardner will fit into the show, as <em>Lanterns<\/em> seems primarily focused on Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) passing the torch to John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) while trying to solve a mystery, but Fillion&#8217;s character will have some role to play.<\/p>\n<p>Guy Gardner is a returning role for Fillion, but <em>Lanterns<\/em> should give him an opportunity to highlight new sides of the character that <em>Superman<\/em> didn&#8217;t get around to. One of those sides, Guy&#8217;s role as an intergalactic, science fiction cop, will make him the exact opposite of Mal Reynolds in <em>Firefly<\/em>. Both <em>Lanterns<\/em> and <em>Firefly<\/em> are somewhat grounded sci-fi shows, but in the former, Fillion will be playing a law-bringer, while he played a law-breaker in the latter.<\/p>\n<p>In <em>Superman<\/em>, Guy Gardner was mostly acting as a superhero confined to Earth. In <em>Lanterns<\/em>, however, Guy was seen talking to someone through prison bars, and given the show&#8217;s focus on the Green Lantern Corps, he&#8217;ll likely be acting in a more authorial capacity as, essentially, a cop. It should be a chance for Fillion to play the exact opposite character of Mal, the notorious smuggler and hired mercenary in a sci-fi setting.<\/p>\n<p>Fillion alone is reason enough to be excited about <em>Lanterns<\/em>. The prospect of seeing him in a sci-fi setting once again, but this time playing a character who couldn&#8217;t be more different from his <em>Firefly<\/em> role, is fascinating. Fillion also has an additional 24 years of acting experience under his belt, so he should be able to bring even more layers and nuance to Guy Gardner as compared to Mal. For <em>Firefly<\/em> fans, <em>Lanterns<\/em> is unexpected but still very welcome.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"guy-gardner-can-be-the-sci-fi-role-mal-reynolds-never-became-for-nathan-fillion\">\n                        Guy Gardner Can Be The Sci-Fi Role Mal Reynolds Never Became For Nathan Fillion<br \/>\n               <\/h2>\n<div class=\"body-img landscape \">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  image-expandable  img-article-item\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/firefly-serenity-crew-1.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n<figure><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/firefly-serenity-crew-1.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/firefly-serenity-crew-1.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/firefly-serenity-crew-1.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/firefly-serenity-crew-1.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/firefly-serenity-crew-1.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/firefly-serenity-crew-1.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"1650\" height=\"928\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Firefly Serenity Crew with Mal, Kaylee, Simon, and more\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/firefly-serenity-crew-1.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/firefly-serenity-crew-1.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture><figcaption style=\"display: none;\">Firefly Serenity Crew with Mal, Kaylee, Simon, and more<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <em>Lanterns<\/em> is providing Nathan Fillion a chance to play a completely different kind of sci-fi hero from <em>Firefly<\/em>, but it&#8217;s also offering more than that. The only real drawback of Fillion&#8217;s time playing Mal Reynolds is the fact that it was so short-lived. As previously mentioned, <em>Firefly<\/em> was infamously canceled after a single season, and Fillion only returned to the role once, in <em>Serenity<\/em>. It should have been much more than that, however.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"display-card  article article-card small  no-badge  active-content                              \" data-include-community-rating=\"false\" id=\"lanterns-confirms-unofficial-truth-about-james-gunns-dcu\" data-nosnippet=\"\">\n<p>                                                                                                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/lanterns-confirms-unofficial-truth-about-james-gunns-dcu\/\"><br \/>\n                        <img width=\"440\" height=\"248\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) looking up hesitantly in Superman\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/nathan-fillion-as-guy-gardner-in-superman.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=220&amp;h=124&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/nathan-fillion-as-guy-gardner-in-superman.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=220&amp;h=124&amp;dpr=2\"\/><\/p>\n<p>                    <\/a><\/p>\n<p>                    <span data-field=\"label\" class=\"article-card-label\"><label>Related<\/label><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-display-card-content regular article-block\">\n<h5 class=\"display-card-title \">\n<p>\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/lanterns-confirms-unofficial-truth-about-james-gunns-dcu\/\" title=\"HBO's Green Lantern Series Confirms An Unofficial Truth About James Gunn's DCU\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tHBO&#8217;s Green Lantern Series Confirms An Unofficial Truth About James Gunn&#8217;s DCU<br \/>\n\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t<\/h5>\n<p class=\"display-card-excerpt\">The upcoming HBO Max series Lanterns has already confirmed that James Gunn&#8217;s DCU predates Superman by several decades, which introduces some problems.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p><em>Firefly<\/em> had it all: a great script, a great cast, a stellar first season that clearly got a lot of viewers interested in its world and premise, and Joss Whedon as a showrunner. It should have been a huge staple of Fillion&#8217;s filmography, and Mal should have been his big meaty sci-fi role that he got to explore and enhance over several years. That didn&#8217;t happen, though, and Fillion had to abandon Mal just as he was properly getting into the character&#8217;s head.<\/p>\n<p>Luckily, <em>Lanterns<\/em> should be exactly the type of long-lasting sci-fi role that <em>Firefly<\/em> was supposed to be over two decades ago. Even if <em>Lanterns<\/em> fails horribly, Fillion will almost definitely return for the rest of the DCU. James Gunn loves him, he&#8217;s already appeared in <em>Superman<\/em>, and there&#8217;s even a precedent for actors sticking around: Milly Alcock is returning in <em>Man of Tomorrow<\/em> even after <em>Supergirl<\/em> bombed at the box office.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, after 24 years, Nathan Fillion is going to get a science fiction role that he can sink his teeth into over several years. As the DCU progresses, he&#8217;ll only get better at playing Guy Gardner, and we can finally get at least a glimpse of how he may have grown into the role of Mal Reynolds. <em><strong>Lanterns<\/strong><\/em> will do the one thing <em>Firefly<\/em> couldn&#8217;t: last.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s been 24 years since Nathan Fillion starred as Mal Reynolds in Firefly, and one of his upcoming shows is going to flip his cult-classic character on his head. While Nathan Fillion has been drawing attention lately thanks to his role in The Rookie, that was far from the start of his career. One of&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15867,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/firefly_a681857d.jpg?w=1600&h=900&fit=crop","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsweek-trending"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15866"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15866\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15867"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}