“24,” the popular TV franchise starring Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer, is brutal to keep down. The show, created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran and running for eight seasons and a TV film (2001-2014), has been attempted to be revived via spinoffs like “24: Legacy” (2017), but previous attempts never materialized. FOX Entertainment still shows interest in bringing it back, and Sutherland is open to reprising his role. Series writer, showrunner, and EP Howard Gordon are open to the franchise’s future but would prefer it to happen sooner.
“They are. And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in bleeding it,” Gordon, when asked if FOX was pushing for more “24” projects in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, shared his thoughts. Does Gordon have any plans for Jack Bauer in 2023? “Well, that’s a different question,” Gordon responded, laughing. “But I’ll tell you this… when I started writing on ’24,’ I was in my late 30s, and so was Jack Bauer, and I remember relating to him as a father and a guy with a family. It was a simpler world then. We’re both older now, and I do wonder what he’d make of the world that we’re living in today. So, I think everyone is open to it, but, as Kiefer [Sutherland] has said, ‘We better hurry up.’
In a GQ video, Sutherland talked about his time as Jack Bauer on “24” and his willingness to return if the project maintains the quality and integrity of the original run. He also shared his thoughts on balancing the audience’s expectations with the show’s reflection of the real world and how the crew remains like family to him. Sutherland also shared his experiences working on films such as “The Lost Boys,” “Stand By Me,” “A Few Good Men,” “A Time to Kill,” “Dark City,” “Designated Survivor,” “The First Lady,” and “The Contractor.” The discussion starts around the 4:30 mark.
