Sons of Anarchy spinoff Mayans M.C. will definitely have some characters from the original series pop in and make appearances throughout the new show's run, but Charlie Hunnam says Jax Teller will not be one of them. The actor explained why at the premiere of his latest film Papillon, and made it clear that his days as Jax are done for the foreseeable future, noting,
No, no... I had the deepest experience of my career coming out of that. I had become that character, had become so deeply integrated into who I was, I literally didn't realize until the day we wrapped and we put him to rest and I felt I went through a period of two or three weeks of, like, real bereavement.
Charlie Hunnam's absence in Mayans M.C. was initially assumed given the character's death in the series finale, but after creator Kurt Sutter revealed another departed character would appear in the show's series premiere via a flashback, some began to wonder if the beloved star could also make an appearance at some point. That speculation can apparently be put to rest, as Hunnam didn't hem and haw while telling Entertainment Tonight he's currently not willing to return due to the emotional attachment he still has to the character. Jax Teller's death may have been a fictional event, but for Hunnam, it feels very real.
One might think Charlie Hunnam's statement could just be a cop out. Maybe the actor just doesn't want to come out and say he wants to do more with his career than appear in the Sons of Anarchy universe. However, Hunnam's words seem pretty real, as he even admitted he won't let visitors at his house wear Jax's leather vest that he now owns. The actor explained his respect for the character is too deep to allow that, which is also why he never sees himself bringing Jax to Mayans M.C.:
I have his cut [leather vest] and, you know, people have been to my house and asked if they could try it on and I [say] 'No one will ever put that cut on again' and 'We got to respect that dude. He's not with us anymore.' So I would never bring him back from the dead for something like that... It was seven years of my life. He sort of became sacred to me.
Luckily for the Mayans M.C. cast, it doesn't sound like any of the show is reliant on Charlie Hunnam's reprisal of Jax. Kurt Sutter has been pretty straightforward about wanting the series to stand on its own, and that the show will focus more on Ezekiel "E.Z." Reyes and the Mayans Motorcycle Club. Additionally, the show can still pay homage to Jax without Hunnam, as a recent promo for the upcoming drama featured a roadside memorial to the departed character.
Mayans M.C. will premiere on FX on Tuesday, September 4 at 10:00 p.m. ET. It's just one of the many shows headed to television in the coming weeks, so be sure to keep track of all that's coming with our summer and fall premiere guides. For more on Sons of Anarchy, be sure to read up on how the show is being blamed by Canada for influencing viewers to adopt the biker lifestyle.
