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Will Richard Dean Anderson's 1985 MacGyver make an appearance on CBS reboot?

Since the fans were initially introduced to the high intellect character with Anderson, some weren't too keen on Till's portrayal in the reboot, was Anderson one of them?

Angus "Mac" MacGyver has become a beloved character over the years. It was first played by actor Richard Dean Anderson in the original 1985 series titled 'MacGyver' and is now being played by actor Lucas Till in the CBS 2016 reboot of the same name. He is known to resolve conflicts through non-violent methods as best as he can, and most definitely is applauded for his skills as a part of The Phoenix Foundation. The original series was created by Lee David Zlotoff with Henry Winkler and John Rich as executive producers as it followed the secret agent throughout his adventures in the world of crime.

While the show continued for seven seasons on ABC, their fan base continued to grow with two movies titled 'MacGyver: Lost Treasure of Atlantis' and 'MacGyver: Trail to Doomsday' airing on the network in 1994. The series ended in 1992 and CBS rebooted the show on September 23, 2016, with Till playing the titular character. Since the fans were initially introduced to the high intellect character with Anderson, some weren't too keen on Till's portrayal in the reboot. Some didn't like the reboot altogether. Was Anderson one of them? Many fans can't stop wondering if Anderson is on the reboot and if he even likes it at all.

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Will Anderson make an appearance on the CBS reboot?

In 2016, showrunner Peter Lenkov said that the new CBS production had been talking to Anderson's representatives. "We hope he says yes," said Lenkov. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

TV series finale posted notes Anderson had sent to RDAnderson.com which detailed the thoughts the actor had on appearing on the CBS reboot. The notes were originally posed by Kate Ritter, the site runner. On July 25, 2016, Anderson wrote, "So many people have responded to the attempted “reboot” of the MacGyver franchise, and a lot of people have asked me if I’m going to be in the new show, or am I going to produce it, or, yada. And all I can say is, I’m not considering being a part of a project that has overlooked the insanely LOYAL FANS of the original character and has proceeded without considering how and why they all became and STAYED loyal fans… Yes, I was asked, but no, I won’t be involved in the MacGyver reboot. I have tried to recognize that there really is a balance to be found here. Hence, my loyalty to my fans. Anderson, Rick."

Of course, it's been years since that note was written, but Anderson has kept his word and has not appeared on the reboot series at all. Does he even like the new version? Here's all we know about it.

Why doesn't Anderson like the CBS reboot?

The actor criticized the show back in May of 2019, 25 years since he called the shots on the original series. By this time though, Till himself had garnered his own fan base, but that didn't matter to Anderson. During a conventional panel that year, Anderson said, "I’m not real crazy about it, I’ll be honest. They approached me at some point early on – they had done some testing for the show, and found out that it wasn’t as attractive as they wanted it to be – and then they called and asked if I wanted to have anything to do with it. And I said, ‘Noooo.’ And I’m glad."

He didn't stop there, while on stage at the Wales Comic Con 2019 at the Stargate Q&A panel, Anderson expressed his discomfort and issues with the reboot. He said, "Once I saw the product, I wasn’t offended, because it’s a business, and I don’t own the title; they can do whatever they want. But I don’t think they’ve been fair in continuing the franchise (while) being true to the franchise. They’re shooting up everybody, there’s so much going on, but you don’t see the thought process that we prided ourselves on being able to institute into our show. You know, MacGyver sees the problem, he sees solutions to the problem. You see him gathering the solutions, putting it together and then solving. In this new one, it’s boom-boom-boom, and it all just happens so fast."

If you've watched the CBS's reboot with Till, you'd know that Anderson isn't entirely wrong. Till's MacGyver isn't Anderson's at all, and at some point, some loyal fans would refuse to even compare. But it is true that Till's MacGyver isn't as handy dandy as Anderon's. It's been years since the original series ended, but there are many loyal fans who re-watch the series, while others also tune into the CBS reboot. But who did it better?

Fans still compare Anderson's 'Mac' to Till's

Since the reboot aired with Till, fans have come out and expressed their opinions on the portrayal of the characters by each of the actors. "#MacGyver I have decided that @lucastill's MacGyver is smarter than Richard Dean Anderson's. As a fan of the first Mac, it was hard to say that," wrote one fan. Another fan added, "I Watch The Original MacGyver With Richard Dean Anderson, And The Newer MacGyver With Lucas Till. However, Both Are Great. However, I Think The OG Mac-G Is More Action, Whereas The Newer Mac-G Has Is More Technique." Another fan wrote, "Welp color me disappointed. No Richard Dean Anderson. You had 1 job. ONE! And that was to make the most logical choice and keep true to the MacGyver franchise. What a travesty... I'm still gonna watch thought cause I love Lucas Till."

While it may seem easy to compare both Till and Anderson, it can't be denied that both have done incredible justice to the character. Sometimes it just comes down to preference, of course. As for the question of whether Anderson will make an appearance on the CBS reboot, it seems to be a hard no from the actor himself, but we think Till can hold up the fort as the CBS series pushes on through its fifth season.