It has been eight years since Kiefer Sutherland played Jack Bauer, the actor returned for the twelve-episode series “24: Live Another Day” in 2014 following his eight-season run in the role from 2001-2010.
Since then he’s gone on to various other things from series like “Designated Survivor” and “The Fugitive” to work on video game franchises like “Call of Duty” and “Metal Gear Solid” and occasional film appearances like in the just-released “The Contractor”.
Speaking with GQ, the actor revealed he’s keeping the door open for more “24” because he feels Jack Bauer’s story remains unresolved:
“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.
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.”
The franchise was last on screens with the 2017 spinoff series “24: Legacy” which saw Corey Hawkins taking over as a new lead character. Sutherland executive produced but did not appear.
Within the “24” universe, it’s expected Bauer is still in the hands of Russian authorities who took him away. The actor told the NME earlier this year that any new run of the show would likely follow new characters trying to get Jack back from “wherever the hell it is that I ended up”.
