Posted in: ABC, Conventions, Events, Hulu, Pop Culture, san diego comic con, TV | Tagged: sdcc, The Rookie

The Rookie/SDCC Highlights: Fillion & Hawley Preview Season 8 & More

Check out highlights, videos, and image galleries from The Rookie Showrunner Alexi Hawley and series star Nathan Fillion's trip to SDCC 2025.

As being on a San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) panel goes, being serenaded by Zander Hawley isn't a bad way to spend your time. That's the position that series star and EP Nathan Fillion found himself in on Saturday after joining ABC's The Rookie creator and showrunner Alexi Hawley on stage to discuss the long-running hit series and its upcoming eighth season. "I have friends who are good actors in their own right. They're calling me saying, 'Hey, man, my daughter just turned 11, and she and her friends are all crazy about 'The Rookie.' Can I please have a birthday with you?' I love that," Fillion shared about the show's success with multigenerational viewing audiences.

"I think that ultimately television, specifically television with lots of episodes with characters that you can really invest in, has become comfort food for people," added Hawley. "There's 1,000 shows on the air, but it does feel like people sort of grab lots of shows that they look forward to watching. They're an escape. I take that very seriously. It doesn't mean that bad things don't happen on our show, that there aren't stakes, that we don't go dark sometimes. People really look to us as an important storm."

After a sizzle reel was screened, spotlighting the trip to Prague in the Season 8 opener, as well as a number of new and returning cast members. "In the first episode, we go to Prague and [John] becomes James Bond in the episode. We have a lot of exciting stories for [the cast] this season," Fillion teased.

Here's a look at the official image gallery that was released from this weekend's SDCC panel:

Here's a look at some highlights from the panel, including the moment Fillion got everyone in attendance for a huge group picture for Melissa O'Neil and more:

And here's a look at some highlights from Fillion and Hawley's time in the Variety Studio, including what the chances are of there being a new rookie during the eighth season and more:

ABC's The Rookie Season 7 starred Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper, Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez, Richard T. Jones as Sergeant Wade Grey, Melissa O'Neil as Lucy Chen, Eric Winter as Tim Bradford, Shawn Ashmore as Wesley Evers, Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune, and Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez. Deric Augustine (Godfather of Harlem) and television-debuting Patrick Keleher were set as the newest rookies for the season. Augustine's Miles is one of the newest rookies at the LAPD. As a Texas transfer, Miles is a 'rookie' despite being a two-year veteran of the force. Keleher's rookie Seth seems like the ideal police officer, but the job requires quick, decisive action — something that doesn't come naturally to Seth. In addition, Ivan Hernandez (Max's And Just Like That…) had joined the cast as Detective Graham and appeared in several episodes.

Alexi Hawley is the series creator, writer, and executive producer. Mark Gordon, Nathan Fillion, Michelle Chapman, Jon Steinberg, Bill Norcross, Bill Roe, and Brynn Malone are executive producers of the series. Entertainment One (eOne) is the lead studio on The Rookie, a co-production with ABC Signature.

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