Resident Alienhas already had a miniFireflyreunion by introducing Nathan Fillion to the cast alongside Alan Tudyk, but season 4 of the sci-fi dramedy finally has the chance to pull off something far more exciting than the show’s previous attempts at a nod to the single-season cult classic. Although there is little information aboutwhat will happen inResident Alienseason 4, certain details are starting to emerge that are allowing the upcoming run to finally take shape. One of these reveals has been someone else fromFireflymaking their way to join theResident Aliencast.
Resident Alienseason 4’s confirmationmeans the familiar faces of the residents of Patience, Colorado, can come back and continue from the cliffhanger from theend ofResident Alienseason 3. However, it’s actually an incoming figure who is getting me the most excited about the return ofAlan Tudyk’s Harry Vanderspeigleand company. That being said, I’m tempering my expectations, because a similar scenario has already let me down before.
I Hope Resident Alien Season 4 Gives Firefly’s Jewel Staite A Bigger Role Than Nathan Fillion Had
Fillion voiced an octopus called 42 in 7 episodes of Resident Alien
Nathan Fillion made his debut inResident Alienseason 1, episode 7, “The Green Glow,” and appeared in six more episodes throughout season 2.Only particularly sharp-eared fans may have noticed Fillion’s presence, as he voiced the octopus that Harry rescued. It was a fun way to include a reunion between two formerFireflystars, but I’ve always thought it was a waste of what could have been a brilliant onscreen story with Tudyk and a visible Fillion character. Now that Jewel Staite is confirmed to appear inResident Alienseason 4, I’m hoping the show learns from this mistake.
Resident Alien Season 4 Gives Alan Tudyk A Rare Career Credit He Hasn’t Had For Almost A Decade
Alan Tudyk’s workload on Resident Alien is set to increase when the sci-fi dramedy returns, meaning he’ll be slipping back into an old role.
Even if his face was never shown, Fillion remains one of thebestResident Aliensci-fi guest stars. So, if the show can introduce Staite in a way that is a better tribute to her role as Kaylee Frye inFirefly, she stands the chance of overtaking Fillion in that list. Just asFillion deserved to physically embody aResident Aliencharacter, the show needs to give Staite the chance to perform in front of the camera alongside her old scene partner. If not, it will make her presence among theResident Aliencast seem a little pointless.
There’s A Lot More Riding On Staite’s Reunion With Tudyk In Resident Alien
Fillion has worked with Tudyk quite a lot since Firefly ended
Even though it was fun to have Fillion as part of theResident Aliencast, it arguably wasn’t that big of a deal. He has worked with Tudyk quite extensively since theirFireflydays. As well as them both appearing as part of both seasons of theCon Mancast between 2015 and 2017,Tudyk has also had two cameos inThe Rookiewith Fillion. Therefore, their reunion inResident Alienwas pretty much just the latest example in a long line of two friends and actors getting to collaborate once more. For Tudyk and Staite, this isn’t the case.
If the show wastes the opportunity to turn Staite’s entrance into a massively thrilling moment, it will be a huge shame.
Although Staite did also appear in two episodes ofCon Man, that’s been pretty much it in terms of working with Tudyk since the end ofFirefly, and its followup movie,Serenity. So,the chance for them both to reunite inResident Alienseason 4 is much more of a landmarkthan it was with Tudyk and Fillion. If the show wastes the opportunity to turn Staite’s entrance into a massively thrilling moment, it will be a huge shame.
Who Jewel Staite Could Be Playing In Resident Alien Season 4
Tudyk’s reveal about Staite’s Resident Alien casting didn’t give a lot away
Tudyk announced Staite’sResident Aliencasting at the Emerald City Comic Con2025 during aFireflyreunion panel (viaPopverse). Other than confirming she would be in season 4, he didn’t share any other details. So, it remains excitingly unclear who Jewel Staite will be tasked with playing when she reunites with Alan Tudyk. So far, the show has opened up several avenues for roles its guest stars can step into. For example, Nathan Fillion voiced the octopus, but other guest stars have appeared in person.
I’m So Happy Resident Alien Season 4 Has Fixed Something That Frustrated Me With Season 3
I was really annoyed by Resident Alien season 3 for a specific reason, but it thankfully sounds like season 4 won’t repeat the same mistake.
What I think is more likely is that Staite will either play a new human character or an alien in human form. If it’s the latter, showrunner ChrisSheridan has already explained that building alien prosthetics can be an expensive process, and so they are kept to a limited presence. With a big star like Staite among the season 4 cast, it could be that Sheridan is saving this new alien transformation for when theFireflystar crosses over intoResident Alien.
Resident Alien
Cast
A television adaptation of the comic book series, Resident Alien is a sci-fi comedy that stars Alan Tudyk as an alien who crashes on Earth with one mission - destroy humanity to save the planet. When Tudyk’s character takes the identity of a doctor, he arrives at a small town and begins to act the role preparing his plan. As time passes, he develops human emotions against his will - but his plans are further complicated when he meets the son of the mayor - who can see his actual appearance.
Firefly
Firefly is a science fiction television series set in the year 2517, focusing on the crew of the spaceship Serenity. As humans inhabit a new star system, the renegade crew, led by Captain Malcolm Reynolds, navigates conflicts and alliances while pursuing their own interests across lawless territories.
