Many people who grew up watching the action adventure series MacGyver were very excited to learn that the series was coming back to TV in the form of a reboot to the popular series. Now, we have our first bit of casting info to report on that proposed new show. Actor George Eads is in line to play a part in the series.
The news was first reported by Deadline today that the former CSI investigator will be joining the cast of the pilot that CBS is developing for the MacGyver reboot. Eads is best known for his portrayal of Nick Stokes on the hit CBS crime procedural, a role he played from 2000 until early 2015. He left the show before the final season. Eads also lent his voice to the role of The Flash in the animated series Young Justice from 2010 through 2012, and has done the same for several CSI video games. This casting is perfect for Eads, since the show will probably have heavy procedural notes in each episode, much like CSI did.
The original MacGyver ran on ABC from 1985 until 1992. The show focused on secret agent Angus MacGyver, a troubleshooter for the US government at the Department of External Services (DXS). The trained scientist and Vietnam veteran is capable of using his extensive knowledge of the physical sciences to solve intricate problems by crating objects out of everyday items and using his Swiss Army Knife, something he was able to achieve in mere minutes. His desire for non-violent solutions to the issues he comes across during his field work lead him to abstain from carrying a gun.
MacGyver was popular enough to lead to two TV movies, MacGyver: Lost Treasure of Atlantis and MacGyver: Trail to Doomsday, which both aired in 1994. The show also led to games, toys, a comic and an audio series. The biggest impact of the show has been the enduring effect of watching the lead create unusual solutions for some major problems. The ability to solve problems by creating things with objects that don’t usually go together is actually known by many people as “MacGyvering.” The show was even parodied by Saturday Night Live in their “MacGruber” skit, which was eventually turned into a full-length film.
Early word on the new show originally said that the show would feature a female lead, but since the Deadline report says that the lead character will still be named Angus, that’s unlikely at this point. George Eads is set to play a man named Lincoln who, at first glance, seems like a bizarre conspiracy theorist, but who’s actually a real government worker with a deep capacity for compassion. This iteration of MacGyver will focus on a younger lead, who’s still in his twenties.
It seems like the new MacGyver is well on its way to having a knock-out cast in place for the pilot. We’ll be sure to keep you up to date on the reboot as news continues to come in. Until then, you can try your hand at some Cinema Blend trivia below...
