24 was a great TV series, but after a stellar fifth season, the quality started dipping. The underwhelming Live Another Day ended on a bum note, while attempts to revive the show with a new lead fell flat with fans. We've heard endless talks of a movie continuation of Jack Bauer's story for nearly a decade now, but neither that nor a long-rumoured limited series have come to fruition.
Kiefer Sutherland spent a huge part of his career playing the iconic CTU agent, and during a recent interview with GQ, the actor made it clear he's still ready and willing to play the hero again.
"I miss it. It was an incredible experience. I have learned that you're just better off not to be definitive about your answer of whether you will do something or not do something," Sutherland explained. "I love playing that character. I do believe the story is unresolved. If something were to be written that made sense to me and that I thought was going to contribute to the franchise then I would be behind it, even if my participation in that were to be limited."
"My involvement will always be predicated on what I perceive is the quality of the writing. If [original showrunner] Howard Gordon is motivated to do it, we'll see what happens."
Fans deserve a definitive ending to Bauer's story, and the fact Sutherland remains open to helping tell that is bound to be welcomed. Whether that will lead to anything remains to be seen, particularly as we've heard comments like these before, only to ultimately be disappointed when nothing happens.
With the way the world has changed, it would be fascinating to explore Jack's place in that. 24: Legacy wasn't good, but it also wasn't so bad that viewers have been turned off the franchise. Throw in the real-time concept that remains unique to this series, and there has to be room for more stories.
What are your hopes for 24 moving forward?