“Firefly”: Adam Baldwin, left, Alan Tudyk, Nathan Fillion and Gina Torres.
Comic-Con: Joss Whedon thanks Browncoats at tearful ‘Firefly’ reunion
Fans of “Firefly” keep the imagined sci-fi Western universe alive, Joss Whedon told more than 4,000 people (many of whom camped in line overnight) in the jam-packed Ballroom 20 at Comic-Con International on Friday afternoon.
Whedon also talked about an upcoming comic book series from Dark Horse, which will pick up some time after “Firefly” and “Serenity” left off.
The emotional panel, which started and ended with tears and standing ovations, reunited most the main cast of the short-lived but much-loved series. Creator (and “The Avengers” director) Whedon; actors Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, Summer Glau, Adam Baldwin and Sean Maher; and writers Tim Minear and Jose Molina took photos of one another and the crowd as they entered the stage, greeted by deafening applause.
“Firefly,” which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, chronicles the misadventures of Capt. Malcolm Reynolds (Fillion) and his ragtag crew as they scavenge and steal to keep their bucket-of-bolts spaceship Serenity afloat. In creating the series, Whedon rejected typical sci-fi tropes like “purple lights” and “aliens with big green heads” and aimed instead for “something that felt real, like a piece of history,” he said. “I wanted to tell an immigrant’s story.”
Fox canceled the show short of a full-season run, but the feature-length sequel “Serenity” hit theaters in 2005, largely because of relentless support from singularly devoted fans who call themselves “Browncoats” after the former resistance soldiers in the series.
When asked at the end of the panel, hosted by Science Channel, how he felt about those fans, Whedon found himself at a rare loss for words. The audience filled his silence with cheers, and the teary cast members joined fans in a standing ovation as Whedon, overcome by emotion, struggled to speak.
Nathan Fillion and Joss Whedon at the “Firefly” reunion panel. (Alexandra Wyman/Getty Images)
“When you come from a great movie, you feel like you’re in that world,” Whedon finally said. “You come out of certain things, and the world has become that. When you’re telling a story, you are trying to connect to people in a particular way. It’s not just about what you want to say, it’s about inviting them into a world. And the way in which you guys have inhabited this world, this universe, has made you part of it, part of the story. You are living in ‘Firefly.’ When I see you guys, I don’t think the show’s off the air. I don’t think there’s a show. I think that’s what the world is like. I think there’s spaceships. I think there’s horses. The story is alive.”
It’s a rare, intimate relationship the show’s creators and stars share with their viewers, born out of the breath of second life the online fan community gave the franchise years after the show was canceled. “Firefly” alumni frequently interact with Browncoat groups around the country; even Thursday night, Whedon, Baldwin and others paid a late-night surprise visit, waking up sleeping fans who camped outside the convention center for the reunion panel.....................................
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Quelle: Noelene Clark
