Nathan Fillion recently announced that he’s spearheading development for a new animated series based on the classic, cult sci-fi television series, Firefly. The prospective animated reboot is set to reunite most of the show’s original cast, and it will act as a bridging storyline between the original 2002 show and its 2005 theatrical continuation, Serenity. But let’s be honest, the likelihood of whether the new Firefly animated series will actually get made is really a toss-up. A recent report by Deadline in March indicates that the project is still trying to get funded, as the Firefly project has not yet been sent out to buyers. There is actually another beloved cult sci-fi show that should be getting a new animated revival instead, and that’s the memorable SyFy Channel series, Farscape, which makes a far better candidate for a new revamp.
‘Farscape’ Creator Rockne S. O’Bannon Wants To Continue the Saga
Farscape certainly left a mark on its fandom with its unique storytelling, characters, and amazing creatures and animatronics, created by The Jim Henson Company. At the time of its run, Farscape presented television viewers with a unique serialized space saga unlike anything seen before. Additionally, the show’s creator, Rockne S. O’Bannon, has spoken about a television revival, and he sounds very open to the idea. During a March 2024 interview with SyFy Wire, in celebration of Farscape’s 25th anniversary, O’Bannon explained that any future stories involving Farscape would present a continuation of the existing canon, and not a straight-up reboot or remake.
Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive? The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars
Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you’d actually make it out of alive.
💊The Matrix
🔥Mad Max
🌧️Blade Runner
🏜️Dune
🚀Star Wars
01
You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do? The first instinct is often the truest one.
02
In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely? What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.
03
What kind of threat keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
04
How do you deal with authority you don’t trust? Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.
05
Which environment could you actually endure long-term? Survival isn’t just tactical — it’s physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.
06
Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart? The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.
07
Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all? Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they’re actually made of.
08
What would actually make survival worth it? Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.
Your Fate Has Been Calculated You’d Survive In…
Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.
The Resistance, Zion
The Matrix
You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.
You’re drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
You’d find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines’ worst nightmare.
You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
The Matrix built an airtight prison. You’d be the one probing the walls for the door.
The Wasteland
Mad Max
The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.
You don’t need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you’re good at all three.
You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.
Los Angeles, 2049
Blade Runner
You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.
You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
You’re not a hero. But you’re not lost, either.
In Blade Runner’s world, that distinction is everything.
Arrakis
Dune
Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.
Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they’re survival tools.
You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You’d learn its logic and earn its respect.
In time, you wouldn’t just survive Arrakis — you’d begin to reshape it.
A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Star Wars
The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.
You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
You’d gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire’s grip can be broken.
You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn’t something you’re capable of.
In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.
O’Bannon also discussed how the 25-year gap would benefit new storylines, stating, “There’s actually something to be said about having had a 25-year gap. It’s not something you would ever plan to do. But I think it’s potentially a real advantage in that there is such a span of time that the characters could have grown, and other things could have happened.” O’Bannon’s idea for a continuation set decades after the original saga ended is absolutely the right approach for a new series. Original series star Ben Browder has similarly spoken about a potential revival, telling Games Radar in a March 2024 interview that he’d also like to see a continuation.
What Would the Next Generation of ‘Farscape’ Look Like?
Fortunately, despite Farscape’s sudden cancellation after the end of its fourth season, the show eventually received a formal conclusion in the form of the 2004 miniseriesThe Peacekeeper Wars. Although the series ended with Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black) and John Crichton (Browder) happily together with their newborn son, D’Argo, the saga potentially left plenty of avenues open for future storylines. For example, the series ends with longtime villain, sometimes antihero, Scorpius (Wayne Pygram), still alive and active. Would Scorpius keep his word and leave Crichton and his loved ones alone for all time?
Presumably, a new series would likely feature D’Argo Sun-Crichton as its new protagonist. A son raised by John and Aeryn aboard the living Leviathan spaceship, Moya, would certainly make for some fun interstellar adventures. Ever since the show ended, it begs the question: What would D’Argo be like as an adult? Would he resemble his idiosyncratically heroic father, or would he take after the stoic warrior mold of his mother? Perhaps D’Argo would be a combination of two, or maybe he’d be more intellectual. A new Farscape series would hopefully answer that question.
Even against tough competition, this dystopia’s meticulous world-building and nuanced social commentary win the sci-fi crown.
Not to mention, while the events of The Peacekeeper Wars saw the Peacekeeper and Scarran leadership forging a genuine peace agreement, there’s no guarantee that peace would be maintained for all time. The warmongering Peaceekepers and Scarrans could eventually revert to their baser instincts. Ideally, a new series would potentially show Aeryn and John passing the torch to D’Argo and his friends, forging his own legacy while honoring that of his parents, along with the legacy of his namesake, the Luxan Warrior Ka D’Aargo (Anthony Simcoe).
The World of ‘Farscape’ Warrants Further Exploration
Ben Browder as John Chrichton spooning with Claudia Black as Aeryn Sun in FarscapeImage via SyFy
O’Bannon created such a vast, rich, and textured fictional universe with Farscape that there are plenty of avenues left to explore for further adventures. Farscape always evoked a feeling that — with the presence of interstellar wormholes and the vastness of the Milky Way Galaxy — it was merely scratching the surface of various possibilities. O’Bannon already tapped into some interesting continuation storylines in the 2008 Farscape comic book series published by BOOM! Studios, which picks up shortly after the original series ended.
After four seasons and a concluding miniseries, Farscape established a strong saga, a rich, intricate world, and a diverse cast of characters, and it would be fascinating to pick up with a continuation of the saga years later, which presents a far more intriguing prospect than a Firefly revival bridging the show and movie. Plus, with multiple members of the cast and crew already on board, it would be a shame if a Farscape revival never gets explored in the near future. It would be worth the price of admission alone to check in with our favorite characters and see where they are decades later.
