A new image from National Treasure: Edge of History reveals that Harvey Keitel will be reprising his movie role in the new series. Edge of History is an upcoming Disney+ live-action show that will take place in the world of 2004's National Treasure and 2007's National Treasure: Book of Secrets, which followed the history-based adventures of cryptographer and treasure hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage). There were initially plans to make a third film in the late 2000s, but those never came to fruition. Now, the Disney+ series has stepped up to take its place over a decade after the last film was released, following a new set of explorers ready for their own National Treasure adventure.
The franchise newcomers that will be bringing Edge of History to life include Lisette Alexis, Lyndon Smith, Zuri Reed, Jake Austin Walker, Antonio Cipriano, Jordan Rodrigues, and Oscar-winning Chicago actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. Alexis plays Jess, an FBI cryptoanalyst who finds herself drawn into a race to expose a long-hidden truth and recover a North American artifact thought to have been lost forever. This plot is certainly in keeping with the stories in the original National Treasure films, the first of which involved a secret message written on the Declaration of Independence. However, the biggest connection to the original films is so far the return of Justin Bartha as Gates' loyal sidekick Riley Poole.
Now Riley won't be the only familiar face. Today at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Disney hosted a panel celebrating National Treasure: Edge of History. Screen Rant was present during the panel, during which an image from the series was shared that revealed the return of another character from the original films. In addition to Bartha, Harvey Keitel will be reprising his role as Agent Peter Sadusky. Check out the image below:
Sadusky is a character who appeared in both National Treasure films. Initially, he was something of a secondary antagonist for Gates and his crew, assigned to the case to hunt down the thieves of the Declaration of Independence. While he occupied the same position in Book of Secrets, he did see fit to sneakily inform Gates about the titular book, which belongs to the President and has the answers to many hidden questions about American history.
The exact nature of Keitel's appearance in National Treasure: Edge of History is currently unknown. However, it seems likely that he will be continuing to simultaneously help and hunt anyone who threatens to mess with America's priceless treasures. The new National Treasure image has a more conspiratorial vibe, perhaps indicating that he starts out as more friend than foe to the new characters. Odds are, Keitel will only be in one or two episodes of National Treasure: Edge of History overall, but it will certainly be a thrill for longtime fans to see him return.