Titus Welliver reveals if he’ll ever return to ‘Bosch’ prequel ‘Start of Watch’: ‘The door is…’

Harry Bosch has spent 10 seasons working cases on television, but his next assignment takes him back to the beginning. ‘Bosch: Start of Watch’ rewinds to the early ’90s, with Cameron Monaghan playing the detective at 25. Titus Welliver made the character his own across ‘Bosch’ and ‘Bosch: Legacy’. Now, as Monaghan steps into Harry’s world, the question is where the franchise’s original leading man fits into that picture.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Welliver said he was “absolutely” open to reprising the role. Showrunner Tom Bernardo shares that interest, saying, “The door is definitely open. We want to do it.” However, Welliver is not currently involved in the prequel, and no appearance has been confirmed. Bernardo raised the possibility of a future parallel storyline involving both actors, provided it gives Welliver a reason to return.

“If we do it, we want to do it when the story demands it and when the story deserves it, and when [Welliver] is given something substantive to do,” Bernardo explained. He said the team wanted to avoid bringing him in purely for fan service. The prequel already has a story centered on the younger Bosch. Any appearance by Welliver would need to earn its place within that story.

For Welliver, the prospect also comes down to his relationship with Bernardo, who worked with him on both previous shows. The actor described their connection as a brotherhood and said it would last for life. His answer to another collaboration left little room for doubt. “If Tom said to me, you know, ‘We’re doing an animated version of Bosch,’ or a puppet show, I would say, ‘When and where?’” he said.

Welliver also backed Monaghan, whose performances he has followed in ‘Gotham’ and ‘Shameless’. “He has the chops, and he’ll be great,” he said. Although the actors have not met face to face, Monaghan sent him a letter after landing the role. Welliver said he was “deeply touched” by the gesture, but deliberately decided against visiting the set to give his successor space to establish his own Harry Bosch.

“That’s Cameron’s set, you know what I mean?” Welliver said. “That’s his world, and I wanted to respect that to be like, ‘Go do your thing.’” Viewers will meet Monaghan’s version of the detective when ‘Bosch: Start of Watch’ premieres on MGM+ on January 10, 2027. The first two episodes will arrive together, with new episodes following weekly through February 21.