Ever since its TV run and subsequent quick cancellation in 2002, the sci-fi Western series Firefly has been a cult classic and a frequent object of discussions about revivals but it's too late. It just such fan enthusiasm that led to the follow-up movie Serenity, released in 2005. With so many TV and movie properties getting revivals recently, many have suggested that a Firefly revival could be the next. But after almost twenty years, too much time has passed for a revival to be successful.
With new streaming services and TV networks looking for a way to stand out from the deluge of content, many TV shows with dedicated fanbases have seen reunions, revivals, or reboots in the past decade. This has included shows like Futurama and Veronica Mars that, like Firefly, were not big hits during their initial run but developed a cult following. With Firefly part of the Disney media empire because of the FOX acquisitions, executives may see it as a possible reboot candidate.
However, much of the story that was originally planned for later episodes of Firefly has already been told. Most notably, Serenity wrapped up many of the series' plotlines and included the deaths of major characters and major revelations about the world. A later and still ongoing series of Serenity comics told the story of River Tam, Captain Mal and other characters after the events of the movie, written by some of the show's original writing team. Existing media provides an altered but substantial idea of where the Firefly story would have gone and there's now no need to tell the same story again.
Reuniting the entire cast of Firefly would also be difficult. Many of the original cast members are regulars on ongoing shows, such as Nathan Fillion on The Rookie and Alan Tudyk on Resident Alien, and Harley Quinn. These other commitments may not be disqualifying, but such scheduling difficulties have hamstrung past revivals like the fourth season of Arrested Development. With several Firefly cast members having furthered their careers and profiles in the years since, reuniting the cast would also likely be fairly expensive. Finally, Ron Glass, who played Shephard Book in the original series and Serenity, passed away in 2016, making any potential reunion incomplete.
The creator and lead writer of the original series, Joss Whedon, is also an obstacle to any revival. Whedon cultivated a strong personal following through his writing on series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and is strongly associated with all things Firefly. However, the same progressive, socially-conscious fans that at first embraced Whedon's work would likely be leery of a revival. Many former collaborators have accused Whedon of on-set abuse and misconduct, and his departure from HBO's The Nevers after filming one season suggests that media companies aren't keen on working with him. Even if Whedon wasn't directly involved, his strong association with the series would diminish excitement about any revival.
Given these factors, a full Firefly reboot with a new cast and creators would be more likely than a continuation of the original series. Such a series might give fans a glimpse into what it would have been like if the series had been allowed to tell its story over multiple seasons of television as initially planned. But what made Firefly such a memorable series was the performances and writing. Without the original cast and crew, all that would be left would be some archetypal characters and the general idea of a space Western. Even fans who still regret Firefly's cancellation should admit that the possibility of a successful revival has long passed by.