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The upcoming Superman movie has already gotten a head start in some of its casting, adding Rookie star Nathan Fillion to the fold. But some worry that Fillion’s Superman: Legacy obligations will impact his ABC series.

How ‘Superman: Legacy’ Will Affect ‘The Rookie’

A photo of Nathan Fillion portraying John Nolan along with the rest of the cast in 'The Rookie'.
Nathan Fillion and ‘The Rookie’ Cast | Raymond Liu/ABC/ Getty Images

Fillion has focused most of his time on the hit ABC series The Rookie. The show is a crime drama with Fillion playing a middle-aged character from Pennsylvania starting a new career as a LAPD police officer. The show has pulled in notable ratings for the network for its five seasons, and was renewed for a sixth season not too long ago.

But recently, Fillion’s schedule got a lot busier when DC studios head James Gunn announced that he was cast in Superman Legacy. Fillion will be playing the Green Lantern superhero Guy Gardner in the upcoming film. Superman Legacy is scheduled to begin filming in January 24, 2024. Because of this, some wondered if Fillion filming the Superman feature may clash with his obligations on The Rookie.

Back in July, Rookie showrunner Alexi Hawley wrote a succinct response to worry that Legacy would postpone the cop drama.

“Nope,” Hawley posted according to TV Line.

But the ongoing writer’s strike may pose a bigger threat to The Rookie’s season six debut than Gunn’s superhero entry. Collider reported that the season was supposed to be filming as early as June. But the strike has changed season six’s production to a date that’s yet to be determined.

How is Nathan Fillion in ‘Superman: Legacy’ when he was already in ‘The Suicide Squad’

Fans have already seen Fillion in a DC film before his reintroduction in Superman Legacy. Fillion had a bit part in Gunn’s 2020 feature The Suicide Squad, where he played the Taskforce X member TDK. This has confused a few people, who weren’t sure how or why Fillion could return to DC as another character.

According to Reddit, Gunn once responded to an inquiry on this exact topic in a tweet.

“DC Studios movies (and canon) start with Legacy,” Gunn posted.

Likewise, Gunn’s DC Studios partner Peter Safran also clarified that Legacy was the true beginning of the universe’s canon. He also shared the projects fans should keep an eye on to follow along the universe’s timeline.

“The good news is, if you’ve seen nothing that we’ve done before, you can watch Superman Legacy, you can watch Creature Commandos, you can watch Peacemaker season two, and you can watch Blue Beetle. All of that. We are trying to minimize audience confusion and maximize their enjoyment,” Safran told Vanity Fair not too long ago.

Superman Legacy kicking off a new canon explains how Gunn can wedge previous DC actors like Fillion into his universe.

Nathan Fillion signed up for ‘The Rookie’ without reading a script

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Fillion has starred in some of the most popular and well-respected shows in television. The veteran superstar lent his talents to projects like Firefly and the hit series Castle, which had a successful eight-season run. When he added Rookie to his list of hit television series, he did so without even reading the script.

“It was the pitch,” Fillion said in a 2018 interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “You want a character you feel you can serve — you can serve the character, serve the story. Being in the business as long as I have, I’ve broadened my scope. And the core idea of the show, it has to be something strong enough to carry it a number of years. You want the potential for more. You don’t want to hit a roadblock where you’ve run out of stories because our engine isn’t built that way.”

Given The Rookie’s longevity, it seems Fillion’s instincts were once again right on the money.

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