Nathan Fillion isn't as essential to a used to be his favorite job, and that he still carries such high regard for the iconic show today is commendable.

The reason why Firefly's rumored revival doesn't need Fillion is because the comics have already introduced Firefly's next big star, Captain Emma Washburne, in Firefly: Brand New 'Verse, a six-part miniseries by Josh Lee Gordon and Fabiana Mascolo. The series takes the Firefly franchise into the future while mixing new characters into a new story ed by legacy acts.​​​​​​

Initially, Captain Zoë Washburne is in the driver's seat before the ending opens the door for her daughter's promotion. With Reynolds largely absent from the series, it shows how the Firefly franchise can confidently move on from Captain Mal.

One Firefly Comic Book Sequel Proved That Audiences Don't Need Nathan Fillion for a Reboot

Firefly: Brand New 'Verse #1-6 by Josh Lee Gordon, Fabiana Mascolo, Lucia DiGiamarino, and Jim Campbell

Firefly: Brand New 'Verse takes place twenty years after the events of Serenity (which, ironically, reaches its 20th anniversary in 2025). The ship is now piloted by Captain Zoë Washburne as she leads a new crew of misfits trying to survive in the galaxy. The crew includes Serenity's mechanic, Lu Bao, the gentle giant Salo, and, appointed as her first mate, Zoë's daughter. Conspicuously absent is Captain Mal Reynolds, who is only seen in a flashback, where he's ed out drunk at a bar. Besides this small glimpse, Firefly's original star never appears in 'Verse.

The series does update long-time viewers of the whereabouts of long-time characters like Simon and Kaylee (who retired to a farm with two kids) and Inara (who became a high priestess). Jayne is absent as well, but the fact that Kaylee and Simon named their dog after Jayne seems to imply that the haunted Jayne may have died at some point before the events of the show. Mal, meanwhile, is mentioned in ing only occasionally and, considering that Emma speaks fondly of "Uncle Mal," he was at one point in young Emma's life before departing.

It would have been easy to cast Mal in a big role at the center of the series, like any Firefly sequel, but keeping him in the background showcases how a Firefly story can be told without its original star.

No mention is given to Mal's whereabouts or his future, but that actually allows Firefly to grow without its anchor. Although attention is given to other legacy characters from Serenity's past, it doesn't take attention away from Serenity's future, and neither does Mal. It would have been easy to cast Mal in a big role at the center of the series, like any Firefly sequel, but keeping him in the background showcases how a Firefly story can be told without its original star. It makes it all the easier for readers to accept a new star entering the lead chair.

Wash and Zoë's Daughter Replaced Mal as Captain

Firefly: Brand New 'Verse's Ending Opens the Door for Emma's Promotion

Much of this Firefly comic book sequel concerns itself with Emma feeling like she has to prove her trust and skills to her mother, and in many ways she does. Emma mentions in #1 that Mal and Zoë promised her from a young age that Serenity would be hers one day, but along the way, Zoë became too stuck in the past to consider a future where Emma was ready. Emma finally earns her stripes in her mother's eyes after leading a rescue mission to save Zoë after she was captured by the Blue Sun Corporation.

As of the ending, Emma is the captain, but as of this writing, Firefly hasn't released a follow-up to Brand New 'Verse that chronicles her new adventures leading the Serenity. The ending leaves a lot of doors open for stories to be told regarding what a Serenity led by Captain Emma Washburne looks like. Namely, there are questions revolving around how she grows to be a mature leader and how her mother must adapt to taking orders from her daughter - questions left unanswered without a proper sequel.

Captain Emma Washburne Is the Firefly Revival We Need

Firefly: Brand New 'Verse Perfectly Sets Up the Future of Firefly

This is where a potential Firefly reboot comes in, as the ending of Brand New 'Verse opens the door for the proposed revival. Honestly, whether such a sequel to Brand New 'Verse takes place onscreen or on-, this is the best approach to rebooting the franchise. As much as Browncoats around the globe would love to see Nathan Fillion play Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds again, revisiting the franchise with Fillion in the lead role may be more of a hurdle than it sounds on paper.

In addition to entering the seventh season of The Rookie as its leading man, Fillion is a major movie star right now, currently dedicated to DCU projects like Superman, where he plays Guy Gardner's Green Lantern. It would be increasingly difficult for any production to try to work around the schedule of its leading star. Allowing a new, fresh face with fewer commitments to take the lead eases the weight off the shoulders of an incredibly busy Fillion without a production team needing to cut corners or work around the days he's working for DC Studios or ABC.

Is There a New Role for Malcolm Reynolds Post-Serenity?

Firefly Can Still Move Mal Reynolds into a ing Role

That being said, it's a different story for Firefly's recurring characters. Production can work around the schedules of, say, Jewel Staite or Gina Torres, because they are in ing roles. The same could, theoretically, be said for Fillion. Fillion not being the lead doesn't mean he has to be excluded completely from a reboot, even if Brand New 'Verse excludes him completely. For the same reasons already listed, moving Mal to a ing role gives fans closure with a nostalgia kick, along with the old guard's star co-g a new star, all while alleviating the pressure from Fillion's shoulders.

Alternatively, if a sequel were to manifest in the comic book industry, Firefly still hasn't answered for Mal's whereabouts for the last twenty years. The one flashback that Brand New 'Verse offers is just that: a flash within a that doesn't specify why he's drunk at a bar. Judging from the "...others simply lost the will itself" narration tagged within the same , it appears that Mal may have drunk his sorrows away into a depression. There's a story there that a revival can tell as to how he got there, or a redemption showing how he recovers.

In a Way, Firefly Has Already Completed Mal's Story in the Comics

Firefly: Malcolm Reynolds Year One #1 by Sam Humphries, Giovanni Fabiano, Gloria Martinelli, and Jim Campbell

Although the end of Mal's story remains to be seen, a different comic book, Firefly: Malcolm Reynolds Year One, revealed his beginnings as a Firefly prequel that chronicles how he becomes the Browncoat everyone knows and loves. It's how he meets Zoë. It's the most recent comic released under the Firefly title and, truth be told, it may be the most fitting way to end Mal's story: at the beginning.

Although not chronologically his last, it feels apropos for Firefly's final image of Mal to be youthful, full of spirit, and optimistic about the future, all before the Unification War jaded him to the state he begins in the show. To revisit Mal in not only a revival, but as a star, risks ruining the ideal swan song for him. There are many ways to reboot Firefly and many ways to incorporate Mal Reynolds into the narrative, but for the sake of the franchise's future, it's important to look forward instead of backward, starting with Captain Emma Washburne.

Firefly: Brand New 'Verse and Firefly: Malcolm Reynolds Year One #1 are available now from BOOM! Studios.