A lot can happen in a decade – and it’s likely that not all our beloved Gleeks will be returning to William McKinley High’s dingy halls. But it seems that Lea Michele wouldn’t miss this opportunity for the world, especially since reviving her career from bullying allegations with rave reviews in “Funny Girl” (just as Rachel Berry would do). Though Disney hasn’t officially confirmed it, Variety has learned from multiple sources that Michele’s return is already guaranteed. Additionally, Heather Morris and Chord Overstreet, who play Brittany Pierce and Sam Evans, have made social media posts that seem to indicate they’ll be back as well.
For everyone else’s fate, here are our best educated guesses.
Naturally, Jonathan Groff will make a cameo as Jesse St. James, as he is Michele’s real-life bestie. Darren Criss is probably another sure get, given that he still performs much of Blaine Anderson’s “Glee” material live. Chris Colfer, who played Blaine’s beau Kurt Hummel, said two weeks ago that he’d “heard nothing” about a potential reboot — but then, over the weekend, Colfer and Criss reunited to sing the “Glee” version of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” in London. Coincidence? We think not. Though Colfer has kept quite a low profile since the series, finding success as a bestselling children’s book author instead of pursuing showbiz, now could be the time for him to shimmy back into the spotlight.
Elsewhere, Harry Shum Jr. (who played Mike Chang), seems to be a lock as he is currently enjoying a renaissance tearing up the dance floor on “Dancing With the Stars” — another Disney-produced show, and perhaps an intentional tie-in. And Matthew Morrison, who has become a TikTok meme with his hilariously earnest cameos, would probably love nothing more than to reprise Mr. Schue.
We’d say the same of Jane Lynch, though it may depend on the direction of her character – is the political incorrectness of Sue Sylvester too much for these dark times? (More on that later.)
Speaking of which, Kevin McHale has previously expressed hesitancy to reprise his role of Artie Abrams as he “shouldn’t be playing a character in a wheelchair.” However, as news of a reboot began bubbling up in recent weeks, McHale has appeared more open, telling People: “I could never say no to that.”
What about Dianna Agron, who played pregnant and slightly evil cheerleader Quinn Fabray? While she hasn’t been very present on TV since “Glee,” Agron is making her return on HBO’s upcoming final season of “Industry.” It again may come down to character direction, as we could see Agron wanting to leave Quinn in the past in favor of more mature roles — and there were rumors back in the day of a feud between her and series creator Murphy.
Also more uncertain are Amber Riley (Mercedes Jones) and Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina Cohen-Chang). Riley has also kept fairly out of the spotlight and hasn’t publicly spoken about a potential reboot (though we would love to hear her voice again, trust). Ushkowitz still attends “Glee” conventions and speaks about her time on the series, so she seems more likely.