Justified team reuniting for new series ignites Timothy Olyphant return rumors

The critically acclaimed television series, Justified, was praised for its excellent writing, acting, directing and production. Airing on FX from 2010 through 2015, the series — based on the stories of Elmore Leonard, including “Fire in the Hole” — followed deputy U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) in Kentucky as he approached criminals and enforced the law in his own unique way.

With captivating action, punchy one-liners and an array of characters from all walks of life, Justified was a show that kept audiences returning for more.

Nominated for eight Emmy Awards and winning two, along with a Peabody Award in 2011, it’s no surprise Justified is considered one of the best shows in recent years.

Six years later, the team that brought Justified to life the first time is set to reunite for an adaptation of another Elmore Leonard work: the 1980 novel City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit.

The project is slated to have Justified creator Graham Yost return as an executive producer for this new series. Justified executive producers and writers will return, and Peter Leonard, Elmore Leonard’s son and of the Estate of the late writer, will, according to Variety, “executive produce in association with MGM.”

According to the Detroit Free Press, the novel follows a homicide detective out of Detroit who is in pursuit of a man known as the “Oklahoma Wildman,” who has murdered a Motor City judge.

It is not new for an Elmore Leonard project to be adapted for television or film. Some of his novels have been adapted into such films as 1995’s Get Shorty, 1997’s Jackie Brown and 1998’s Out of Sight, all of which have received critical acclaim.

Could Timothy Olyphant make a comeback for this new series?

There is no release date for this new show, and there is no confirmed casting news. There is also no official word on whether or not Timothy Olyphant will work with the Justified team again on the new project, but the reunion of the original Justified team has sparked speculation and rumors about whether there is a potential for Olyphant to play the lawman once again.

Olyphant is no newcomer to reprising an early role years later. He played Seth Bullock in the 2019 film, Deadwood: The Movie, 13 years after the Deadwood series ended in 2006.

He also is no newcomer to playing a lawman in a different series, with his recent portrayal of Cobb Vanth in season 2 of The Mandalorian, where he was referred to as “The Marshall.” He played a lawman character again in the 2019 film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, where he portrayed a fictionalized version of the real-life actor James Stacy while working on the show Lancer, a western television show that first aired in the late 1960s.

While Olyphant’s Justified character of Raylan Givens does not appear in the City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit novel, Leonard’s Raylan character was in other stories of his, so it brings up the possibility of an adjustment being made for the television adaptation.

In addition to season 2 of The Mandalorian, and season 4 of Fargo, another FX show, Olyphant’s projects include the upcoming untitled David O. Russell film. It leaves Justified fans to wonder if he’ll be attached to the new Leonard-inspired project as a main character, a supporting character or not at all.

Whatever happens, in the meantime, the character of Raylan Givens can be seen at any time, as every season of Justified is currently available to stream in the U.S. on Hulu.

Would you like to see Timothy Olyphant appear in this new series from the Justified team? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!