A Reboot Of The Shield Was 'Discussed,' Probably Won't Happen

Reboots, remakes, and sequels are all the rage. No matter what network you turn to, you're bound to see a schedule filled with them. Disney+ is bringing back "Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers" in the form of a new film. "CSI: Vegas" revisits a number of original cast members from the long-running franchise. And the party is about to start again when "Party Down" gets back to business after a long hiatus. Unfortunately, not everyone's favorite shows get a second chance (or in some cases, a third chance). And that looks to include the award-winning FX crime drama "The Shield."

Back in the early 2000s, many of the highest regarded shows were intense crime dramas. Everybody is still talking about "The Wire" and "The Sopranos," but "The Shield" definitely belongs in the conversation as well. Starring Michael Chiklis, Walton Goggins, CCH Pounder, Forrest Whittaker, and Glenn Close, the series followed the actions of corrupt police officers in the fictional Farmington district of Los Angeles. It aired for seven seasons between 2002 and 2008.

Now, as the cast and crew revisit the show during its 20th anniversary, talk of a reboot naturally comes up. In an oral history published by Entertainment Weekly, Chiklis revealed that though the talks did happen, a revival seems to be fairly unlikely at this point:

"We've discussed a reboot, and I know it will probably make a lot of people sad, but it's unlikely. There have been ideas bandied about and maybe Shawn will wake up someday with a eureka moment. But it's so rare to have something go so well over seven years that it's hard to even contemplate. It would be a real bummer to revisit those characters and have it be subpar. I can't tell you how many fans have written me fan fiction of the way they see it. None of them know, but it's flattering that they're still questioning and guessing."

Series creator Shawn Ryan also weighed in on the possibility of a new chapter for Detective Vic Mackey and the Strike Team. He shared that he has a few ideas of where he thinks a continuation could go, but hasn't banged out all the details yet. And considering how things have played out with the government and police departments all over America since the show ended, Ryan would have a lot of new material to work with. But since no one has gotten the call from FX/Disney just yet, fans that are clamoring for more stories from "The Shield" will have to look up those fan fics that Chiklis was talking about. 

And I'm not going to lie: once you get past "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." and the WWE stable The SHIELD featuring Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and AEW star Jon Moxley, there's a lot more fic for "The Shield" than I originally anticipated. So you might be good for a little while until a reboot officially does or doesn't come together.