Though many fans want HIMYM's Barney Stinson to cameo on How I Met Your Father, Neil Patrick Harris doesn't think his character's typical behavior would fly today. After much anticipation, Hulu's How I Met Your Father is now underway and stirring up plenty of fan theories about the titular parent's identity. The series, which is set in the same universe as How I Met Your Mother, follows hopeless romantic Sophie (Hilary Duff) as she experiences the trials and tribulations of dating in a modern age. All the while, her future self in 2050 (Kim Catrall) recounts each story to her grown son.
With just four episodes under its belt, How I Met Your Father has already snuck in a few creative connections to its predecessor. The most notable is the apartment Jesse (Chris Lowell) and Sid (Suraj Sharma) live in, which just happens to be Lily and Marshall's former home base from HIMYM. There are several more connections and Easter eggs ahead, but fans are already waiting for cameos from the previous show. A popular pick for the first HIMYM cameo is Barney, whose womanizing ways and legendary suit collection made him a fan favorite during the show's run.
At the same time, there's no denying a lot of Barney's moves on HIMYM are pretty questionable, especially when it comes to how he treats women. Because of that, Neil Patrick Harris isn't sure Barney should cameo on How I Met Your Father. Harris sat down with Duff for an interview that was included in his latest Wondercade newsletter (via TVLine), and responded to Duff's question of whether he would consider guesting on the new show. He admitted that he has some concerns because of Barney's typical behavior, saying:
“As for coming on your show (insert joke here), I worry. Barney’s antics, his overt delusions of grandeur, would likely get everyone in trouble. So, unless he’s changed his ways or joined a nunnery (insert an insert joke here), not sure if it’s in anyone’s best interest.”
Like a good number of sitcoms, How I Met Your Mother has several elements that wouldn't fly today, and many of them involve Barney. Therefore, Harris' hesitancy to revive the character makes sense. Now, Harris also pointed out a way his cameo could work. Perhaps in the time since HIMYM ended and How I Met Your Father began, Barney has changed his ways and grown up. After all, the former show ended with him welcoming a baby girl into the world and implied she already led to some alterations to his personality. How I Met Your Father could introduce viewers to a new and improved Barney.
For the time being, Harris is tapping out. His comments might be a bit disappointing to those who were hoping to see him play Barney once again, but he has every right to express his misgivings. Several fan theories have considered how Barney could fit into How I Met Your Father, with one of the wildest perhaps being that he's Sophie's dad. Whether that pans out remains to be seen, but with a show like this one, viewers never stop speculating.
How I Met Your Father releases new episodes Tuesdays on Hulu.
Source: Wondercade (via TVLine)