Some shows just stick with you. They’re the ones you quote in the middle of a conversation and laugh about at the most random times. For me, and for countless other fans, there’s one show that does that better than almost anything else on TV. That's the comedy sitcom Community.
This show wasn’t flashy or pretentious. It was just brilliantly, unapologetically weird in all the right ways. For six seasons, viewers watched a group of unlikely students navigate the chaotic halls of Greendale Community College. It was a school so absurdly dysfunctional that it became the perfect backdrop for some of the most inventive comedy ever seen on television.
Then, the show came to an end. Greendale had closed its doors, the study group had dispersed, and yet the show’s world remained alive in memes, GIFs, and endless fan theories. But the dream of revisiting that fictional campus never truly faded. Then, in October 2022, hope turned into reality. Peacock officially announced plans for a Community movie. The project promised to reunite most of the original cast, including Joel McHale, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Jim Rash, Ken Jeong, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Donald Glover.
However, we hadn't heard of any new cast members. While that's still the reality today, the conversation around the movie has taken an unexpected and exciting turn. Steven Yeun, who The Walking Dead fandom knows best for portraying the iconic role of Glenn Rhee, has revealed in a new interview that he wants to be part of this legendary sitcom comeback.
Steven Yeun throws his hat into the ring for Community movie
In a recent Zoom interview with Jacobs and Yeun to promote Invincible season 4, Polygon took the opportunity to ask Jacobs if she had any updates on the long-awaited Community movie. While she was unable to share any concrete news, Yeun didn’t let the moment pass quietly.
With the genuine excitement as a fan, he jumped in and stated that he wants to be in the Community film. He told Polygon, "Oh my God, let me be in it. Can I? I love Community." Jacobs then responded enthusiastically, encouraging him by saying, "Oh my God, please."
As a lifelong fan of Community, moments like this make my heart leap. It’s one thing for fans to clamor for the show’s return, but seeing someone like Yeun eager to join the world of Greendale adds a whole new level of excitement. Yeun might've played a slightly more serious role in The Walking Dead, but he's also proven he has the comedic instincts to thrive in a world that thrives on absurdity after his performance in Netflix's Beef.
Perhaps now that Jacobs knows that Yeun wants to be part of the project, she could put a good word in for him with the series creator Dan Harmon. Harmon is attached to the film as a writer and executive producer. In my opinion, Yeun would fit in perfectly with the cast. I'm just saying!
Community's return hasn’t been the smoothest. Filming has yet to begin, delayed repeatedly by scheduling conflicts among the busy ensemble cast and the ripple effects of the 2023 industry strikes. While it's unknown exactly when fans will get to see this long-promised movie, the excitement surrounding the project hasn’t faded. If anything, moments like Yeun openly campaigning to join the film only add more fuel to the anticipation.
You can hear Yeun reprise his voice role as Mark Grayson/Invincible in Invincible season 4, which premieres on Prime Video on March 18. He also has two additional projects arriving this year: the films The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender and Animals.