A number of Law & Order fans were heartbroken when it was confirmed that Anthony Anderson’s Kevin Bernard wouldn’t be back for Season 22. It was an unexpected development, considering that Anderson's reprisal helped him get over the end of black-ish. It's very likely that fans are hoping that the actor will portray the New York detective again at some point. Now, months after leaving the show, the L&O alum weighed in on if he’ll return to the long-running NBC drama.
Anthony Anderson's involvement in the revived Law & Order series did help it gain traction before it premiered, which is understandable -- given his popularity coming off of black-ish. The hit ABC series even led to the 52-year-old actor being honored as a Disney Legend at Disney’s D23 Expo this year. When it comes to a return to the NBC legal drama though, he told CinemaBlend at D23 that such a thing would have to be determined by the man who created this massive franchise of legal procedurals -- Dick Wolf:
Oh, well, you know, that's up to Dick Wolf and NBCUniversal. I wouldn't have a problem going back, but we wanted to test the waters and see what else was out there and to develop some new things.
It seems that at the time, Anthony Anderson was ready to do some things on his terms. Being part of an expansive TV franchise can be time-consuming, especially when there are multiple crossover episodes per season. It was previously mentioned that a desire to developing and pitching new shows, including an hour-long drama Miraculous, was Anderson's reason for leaving after one season.
But unsurprisingly, his exit from the NBC franchise didn’t mean there are any hard feelings between him and the Law and Order family. He will be missed as former co-star Odelya Halevi said working with him was an incredible experience, while Jeffrey Donovan will miss the locals calling out his co-star by name in public. So when you read about all of that love between colleagues, it shouldn't be surprising that the 52-year-old Det. Bernard actor went on to say that he'd be open to returning if the show would have him:
But I love the franchise. I love the people that I worked with from my first incarnation to the last. So yeah, yeah. You know, you never know in the Law & Order world what happens in [it].
I, for one, would love to see Kevin Bernard back at the 27th precinct, and I wouldn't be surprised if he does return should the show run for a while. Hey, after all, Elliot Stabler made his way back to the franchise after having been absent for a decade. So Det. Bernard will just pop up on Law and Order or headline a spinoff in the future, perhaps?
But more immediately though, the revival will not give Anthony Anderson’s Bernard a huge sendoff but will address his absence with a brief mention in Season 22. The future looks bright for both Anderson and the storied NBC franchise, and one can only hope that the two cross paths again someday.
Law and Order Season 22 will premiere on September 22 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and is just one of the many returning TV shows fans are anticipating for the 2022-23 TV season.
