A Modern Family Reboot Can Only Work On One Condition After Season 11's Ending

Published Jan 11, 2025

Followed

seasons 9-11 of Modern Family are considered among the worst of the show’s run, feeling repetitive and lower quality compared to earlier seasons.

However, a reboot can feel fresh if it focuses on the next generation of Modern Family characters maturing into adulthood. The original series followed three couples (Jay and Gloria Pritchett, Phil and Claire Dunphy, and Mitchell Pritchett and Cameron Tucker), but a reboot should focus on their children (Manny and Joe Delgado-Pritchett; Haley, Alex, and Luke Dunphy; and Lily Tucker-Pritchett). The Modern Family finale gave the main characters their happy endings, and to avoid retreading old territory, a reboot should look forward to the new challenges the next generation will face with the original show’s signature humor and heart.

A Modern Family Reboot Should Focus On What The Kids Are Like Now

A Reboot Would Give The Modern Family Kids More Time To Develop Into Adults

Modern Family ended with many of the children starting new chapters, whether leaving the nest for school, work and love, or self-discovery. This presents a perfect opportunity for a Modern Family reboot to reintroduce Haley, Alex, Luke, and Manny as young adults back in Los Angeles building their lives. As Lily is much younger and moved to Missouri in the Modern Family finale, she could be written out of the reboot for simplicity. With Luke back from college and Manny back from his world travels, it would be interesting to see the boys more as young adults than students.

Manny's younger half-brother, Fulgencio-Joseph "Joe" Ramirez Pritchett, could be used in a ing capacity, as he would be a tween in a reboot. In the Modern Family finale, Cam and Mitch adopt a baby boy, but if the Pritchett-Tucker family is in Missouri, he probably would not be a regular in a reboot.

In the last two seasons of Modern Family, Sarah Hyland hated Haley’s ending in Modern Family, wishing the character’s career in fashion was not shunted to focus on a relationship and motherhood. A reboot would give Haley the chance to balance motherhood and career in a way that would be full circle for Claire, who paused her career for years to be a stay-at-home mom.

What Happens To The Modern Family Characters In The Finale
Jay Pritchett & Gloria Pritchett-Delgado	Gloria, Jay, and their young son Joe go on an immersion trip to Gloria’s native Colombia for the summer.
Phil & Claire Dunphy	Finally empty-nesters, and with Claire no longer working at Pritchett’s Closets, Phil and Claire use their newfound freedom to go on an RV trip in the RV Phil's dad left them.
Mitchell Pritchett, Cameron Tucker, & Lily Pritchett-Tucker	Mitch and Cam adopt a baby boy. Cam gets a dream coaching job opportunity in Missouri, so they move Lily and the baby to Missouri.
Haley Dunphy	Haley married Dylan after they accidentally get pregnant with twins. They move into Mitch and Cam’s old home to build their family.
Alex Dunphy	Alex gets a job offer from her former professor and longtime crush. They reveal their mutual feelings for each other and move to Switzerland together for work.
Luke Dunphy	After not getting into any college, Luke focused on getting some work and business experience. Luke is finally accepted to The University of Oregon.
Manny Delgado	Manny wants to experience more of the world, and he decides to travel the globe with his biological father.

Alex moved to Switzerland in the Modern Family finale work with and finally begin a relationship with her former professor and longtime crush, Arvin Fennerman. Their romance was controversial because while they were intellectual equals, Arvin previously dated Alex’s sister, Haley. An older version of Alex back in Los Angeles in a more focused and settled capacity in her career, whether or not she is still with Arvin, would shine with a smaller cast.

Modern Family's Original Main Characters Would Work Better As Guests In A Reboot

The Modern Family Main Characters Already Had Their Full Stories & Happy Endings

While fans cherish the original Modern Family main characters, in a reboot that focuses on their children, it would be best to use the original three main couples as guest stars and not series regulars. Jay and Gloria, Phil and Claire, and Mitch and Cam had their stories told for 11 seasons and ended the series with a sense of closure, so rather than introducing new conflicts, they should be used in an advisory capacity for their children’s problems. There is a whole new comedic generational divide for a Modern Family reboot to explore.