Jack Bauer is set to return in a follow-up series to 24, charting the CTU agent’s life up until the popular 2001 series.
Former 24 showrunner Howard Gordon is working alongside its creators, Joel Surnow and Bob Cochran about the possibility of a prequel series. The trio will be on writing duties and the project is now in active development over at 20th TV and Imagine TV. Kiefer Sutherland is unlikely to return given the nature of the series and Sutherland’s self-confessed retirement from action-heavy roles.
This isn’t the first 24 has been resurrected, the original series was brought back in 2014 for 24: Live Another Day, which saw Sutherland return to his most famous role. A spin-off, 24: Legacy starring Corey Hawkins, premiered last year and failed to draw in viewers or glowing reviews. It was cancelled last summer to make way for further iterations of the show.
A prequel series is not the only possible return for the 24 series, another female-led legal thriller in the same world is in development by Gordon and Jeremy Doner.
After Legacy‘s cancellation CEO of Fox Television Group Dana Walden previously teased a “really exciting idea” in development that was seemingly “very compelling”. Our bet is that Walden was referring to exploring Jack Bauer’s early years.
We’ll be sure to pass on any news as we hear it.