NBC’s Quantum Leap revival emerged as one of the biggest freshman hits of the 2022-2023 TV season, earning a Season 2 renewal early and giving showrunner Martin Gero the freedom to end the Season 1 finale on a cliffhanger without worrying about cancellation. The cryptic final scene left fans with more questions than answers to ponder over hiatus, on top of the lingering mystery of whether Sam Beckett will ever appear. While viewers will have to wait to see what’s next for Ben Song and Co., Gero spoke with CinemaBlend to give an update on whether Scott Bakula could reprise the role… or Sam could be portrayed by somebody else.
Quantum Leap didn’t even need all 18 episodes of its first season to prove that it can stand on its own with relying on the original series, but the show did drop references to the show that debuted in 1989 and ran until a disappointing finale in 1993 that ended without letting Sam find his way home. So, it would be a treat for fans of the original and newcomers who have experienced these references to get to see Sam in the flesh, but has there been any progress in recruiting Scott Bakula to reprise the role? Speaking with CinemaBlend’s Mick Joest, showrunner Martin Gero shared:
Look, I mean, the show is a direct sequel, right? Tied to the old one in a way that we’re trying to be as referential as possible. We are obviously huge fans of the original show and we welcome his involvement. But I think he has kind of wished us well and has been so beautiful about it. It’s really up to him and his comfort. This is a very different show than the one he made, you know? The door’s always open. But for us, more importantly, is to stand on our own two feet while being deeply respectful to the show that brung us basically.
Gero’s comment that “the door’s always open” is reason to at least hold out hope that Bakula will one day reprise his iconic role, but the goal is for the sequel series to be able to stand on its own without relying on callbacks. Back before the new NBC show premiered, Bakula opened up about making the “very difficult decision” to pass on making an appearance, and he seemed to show no ill will toward anybody involved as he wished them luck. In response in the fall, Gero said that he would “respectfully always ask him” to do Quantum Leap, but that he respects that actor’s wishes.
The new show has certainly created a rich cast of characters to drive the story without needing to try and bring in stars from the original, but longtime fans will undoubtedly always associate Sam Beckett with the very premise of the series. While Bakula is iconic to the role, could Sam be recast so that he could be brought into the fold without the actor needing to sign on? Martin Gero addressed the idea:
No, no, no, no, no. I’ll never. You know, we don’t say, ‘Oh, boy,’–there are some things that are sacrosanct. We would never hire another actor to play that role. Scott Bakula is the reason why that character is so iconic. It would be crazy of us and mad disrespectful. So, we wouldn’t do that.
Well, Martin Gero certainly didn’t mince words or beat around the bush about the idea of recasting Sam Beckett! Apparently, the options for Sam are either for Scott Bakula to return or Sam never to come back on screen at all. Based on the showrunner’s promise of a “pretty wild” second season, it sounds like the show isn’t going to need Bakula or Sam to guarantee more of the action and stories that made Quantum Leap an early hit for NBC.
Unfortunately, there’s no news at the time of writing about when exactly that second season will premiere on NBC, although hopefully it will be part of the fall lineup again. For now, you can find some upcoming viewing options on our 2023 TV premiere schedule. If you're not ready to say goodbye to Quantum Leap yet, though, you can always revisit the first season of the revival and/or the original series streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription.
