Fox is once again reviving its 24 television series, although this time without Kiefer Sutherland’s iconic character, Jack Bauer. With Sutherland on board as an executive producer for the new show (he’s starring as the President of the United States in his own ABC series, Designated Survivor), Fox has turned to Corey Hawkins (Straight Outta Compton, Kong: Skull Island) as the central protagonist. Sutherland recently shot down rumors that Bauer would make a cameo on the show, which is set in the same universe as the original.
In the video above, the cast of the show chats with Digital Trends exclusively about what fans can expect from the new series, and why 24 remains a popular franchise.
One of Hollywood’s hottest up-and-comers, Hawkins brings his own television fan base to Legacy from his time as Heath on AMC’s The Walking Dead. In Legacy, Hawkins plays former military hero and Army Ranger Eric Carter. He teams up with the CTU (Counter Terrorist Unit) to stop a massive terrorist attack in the U.S. He has help along the way from retired CTU director Rebecca Ingram (played by Homefront star Miranda Otto), whose husband John Donovan (Jimmy Smits) is running for President.
Eric Carter’s military background makes this character very different from Jack Bauer, which is something series producers Manny Coto and Evan Katz hope will offer something new to fans of the original series, as well as the 2014 revival, 24: Live Another Day.
Legacy will remain focused on the real-time format with a ticking clock and multiple-screens showing different parts of the story happening at once. The plot for the latest iteration will again draw inspiration from current events. But with a fresh cast of characters, the producers are interested in telling a brand new story. So far, only the pilot has been filmed, so there remain a lot of unanswered questions that the cast simply doesn’t know yet. That includes which characters from previous 24 installments could make cameos (only Bauer has been ruled out).
The pilot will introduce Carter as he enters into the federal witness protection program and joins up with the CTU. This entry point will allow fans to follow Carter into the white-knuckle world of counter-terrorism.
The premiere of 24: Legacy will lineup with the Super Bowl, set for Feb. 5, 2017.
