After everyone’s favorite crime writer Richard Castle went AWOL after season 8, the actor that played him found a home in a new hit series. Nathan Fillion has been gracing the little screen as John Nolan, the oldest rookie in LAPD history, in ABC’s cop procedural The Rookie. After five seasons, the show is getting a spinoff, and Fillion shared the one concern he had upon hearing the news.

Nathan Fillion and The Rookie Universe Expand

It’s safe to say that Fillion’s John Nolan has become a fan favorite. In fact, fans were so engaged in The Rookie’s universe that ABC decided to greenlight a spinoff, titled The Rookie: Feds with Niecy Nash in the lead. If you caught Season 4, you know all about the two-part episode that served as the backdoor pilot for the then-possible spinoff. The new show will be an FBI-centric spinoff with Nash’s character, Simone, taking up the lead.

Fillion Was Concerned… at First

When Nathan Fillion first learned that the new spinoff series has been greenlit, he was rightfully concerned. At first, he was happy that The Rookie’s universe is growing, but then he was worried that the new show might “steal” some characters from The Rookie, and he definitely didn’t want to part with any of his cast members.

However, all of these concerns went away once Fillion discovered that Niecy Nash was cast as Feds’ lead and it was confirmed that no one is stealing his castmates. At best, there’d be some crossovers between the two shows here and there, but they'll mainly have their own storylines. It’s unclear yet if Feds will become the new law enforcement-centered hit TV series, but if ABC’s fall 2022 schedule is proof of anything, it’s that fans are loving this growing franchise.

Both The Rookie and The Rookie: Feds are now premiering on ABC!