Long before he was palling around with John McClane in Live Free or Die Hard or being turned into a walrus by Kevin Smith, Justin Long was starring in one of the best sci-fi cult classics of the last 20 years. Director Dean Parisot's 1999 comedy Galaxy Quest, both a spoof and loving tribute to Star Trek, was the actor's first big screen acting gig and featured him as an obsessive geek who helps the stars of his favorite television show save the world from evil aliens. It was a pretty fun part, and one that Long apparently would love to reprise - as indicated by his recent enthusiastic reaction to talk of a possible Galaxy Quest 2 during a recent Ask Me Anything session.
With Kevin Smith's Tusk in theaters this weekend, Justin Long took to Reddit to answer any and all questions from his fans - and because this is the internet it took no time at all for the first question to be asked about the possibility of a Galaxy Quest 2. Asked if he would have any interest in reprising the part, the actor responded, "Absolutely! I'd love to see what Brandon Wheeger is up to 15 years later." Furthermore, he also confirmed that he has heard talk about a sequel, but that he's unsure exactly how "real" any of it is. He finished his answer saying,
"I'd do it in a heartbeat. In the meantime, never give up, never surrender."
It's hard to tell if what Long heard about Galaxy Quest 2 comes from behind the scenes of Hollywood or the press, as this is actually the second time this year that we've heard word about the potential sequel. As a sort of celebration of the first Galaxy Quest's 15 year legacy, a bunch of actors were asked if they were interested in coming back, and each of them - from Tim Allen to Sigourney Weaver to Sam Rockwell - expressed interest in the opportunity. Producer Mark Johnson has added that he thinks Dean Parisot would be game to return to the director's chair as well, but he also insisted that the entire project really hinges on screenwriter Robert Gordon - who has said that he has ideas for a Galaxy Quest 2.
If Galaxy Quest 2 were to become an actual thing and actually feature Brandon as a returning character - and we're speaking strictly in hypotheticals here - I'd be curious to see how they approached it. They could go the easy route and make him the stereotypical 36-year-old sci-fi geek living in his parent's basement, but hopefully that would be too easy a target for Gordon and Parisot. Maybe have him featured within the movie as a continuity consultant on a in-universe Galaxy Quest reboot? It's just one idea.
