Chevy Chase Won't Return in Community Movie Due to Backstage Drama
The Community is a name that often crops up when people discuss their favorite go-to shows. The lighthearted humor and the character dynamics are fun and remind us of the people around us. The show had a decent run, which was unfortunately cut short in 2015.
While the fans loved the show, as evidenced by various forums and posts, it was notorious for bringing in low ratings. NBC was paying attention to all this and canceled the show. The sixth season, which happened to be the last aired on Yahoo! Screen. It might be your first time hearing of the platform, and that's ok.
This left many fans with a The Community shaped hole in their hearts. Many wondered if the show would ever be revived or if they would see their favorite characters again. It took years, but the cult following of the fandom eventually made a breakthrough.
"Six seasons and a movie" was the phrase coined by Abed Nadir, which kept the hope alive for the fans. Thankfully, the community movie was confirmed to be in development, and most of the cast was expected to return as their characters.
This was great news for the fans, but more so for the actors as well. John McHale, who plays Jeff Winger, the show's lead, expressed a great desire for this movie. It made him cry like a baby during the table read, as he put it.
Aside from Hale, other stars are also returning. Alison Brie, Pudi, Jim Rash, Gillian Jacobs, Ken Jeong, and more. Yvette Nicole Brown and Donald Glover are expected to be in talks because Troy Barnes and Shirley Bennet simply cannot be recast or replaced.
However, one person that causes quite the controversy whenever he's mentioned is Chevy Chase. Unlike the names we mentioned, he isn't expected to return. Apart from creative differences and the fact that his character was killed, there are additional reasons why the movie wants to distance itself from him.
Despite being one of the most experienced people on set, Chase left a bad impression on everybody. He was notorious for cracking racially insensitive jokes about costar Donald Glover according to the New Yorker in 2018.
He was even stated to have walked off the set and left a heated voicemail to showrunner Dan Harmon. In addition, his angry rant at creative differences apparently involved a racial slur as well, further heating up the already volatile situation.
Given what's happened and how he acted, it is unlikely Chase would return to shoot the movie. Furthermore, Dan Harmon reportedly said it might not even be "legal" for him to return.
Whatever the case, fans are waiting with bated breath. There's a lot we don't know, however. Plot details are still uncertain, as well as the release window. One thing is for sure, in any case. It's refreshing to see "six seasons and a movie" coming true after so many years.