Posted in: Fox, streaming, TV | Tagged: firefly, josh whedon, nathan fillion

Nathan Fillion Honors Firefly Day with A Look Back to His Mal Days

Nathan Fillion posted on social media a look back at his days as Serenity Capt. Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds and wished fans a Happy Firefly Day.

While it may only initially run for a single season of 14 episodes, Joss Whedon's sci-fi action/drama series Firefly would go on to inspire a dedicated fanbase of Browncoats so dedicated to the show's all-too-briefly-visited universe that it resulted in a feature film follow-up in 2005, Serenity. Focusing on the adventures of Nathan Fillion's (The Rookie) Serenity Capt. Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds & his renegade crew in 2517, the series boasted an impressive line-up of actors that included Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite, Sean Maher, Summer Glau, and Ron Glass. Since the feature film, the franchise has lived on in other mediums – including comics, novels, and more – though controversies surrounding the show's creator have been a factor in why we haven't seen movement on the live-action side, even though there have been rumblings in the past.

What also makes the Firefly fanbase especially committed to the cause is how FOX handled the series, a series of missteps that would lead to questionable marketing moves and the infamous decision to air episodes out of order. And that brings us to the calendar and today's date – April 24th, otherwise known as Firefly Day. One person who definitely didn't forget was Fillion, who took to Instagram to honor the special occasion. Here's a look at Fillion's post from earlier today, which included a look at his Mal from back in the day:

Back in September 2022, Fillion took to social media to thank Whedon, his castmates & fans for all of their love & support over the years in honor of the 20th anniversary of the show's premiere while also expressing just how much his time on the series meant to him personally and professionally.

"Has it already been 20 years? I've talked a lot about 'Firefly' in my time, answered a lot of questions about it, and yet, still, I don't have the right words to honor it. As a learning experience, nothing has taught me as much about my craft and the industry. As for my career, nothing has given me as solid a foundation. And as for love, I never knew how much love a little tv project could bring to my life. To the cast- thank you. You have no idea how much you mean to me," Fillion wrote as the caption to his Instagram post celebrating the show's anniversary. "To Joss- in 20 years, I've still not found a way to express what you've done for me. To the fans- without you, space is vast, cold, and empty. With you, space becomes a home for all of us, and there's no place I'd rather be. To those of you who have never seen Firefly, we'll see you soon enough. Happy Anniversary, all."

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