Excitingly, a Community movie has finally been confirmed, but the project already has a problem facing it. Finally fulfilling the promise of “six seasons and a movie,” the Community movie is headed to Peacock at an undisclosed point in the future. It’s set to reunite Joel McHale, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Jim Rash and Ken Jeong but there are two glaring omissions from the confirmed cast list – Yvette Nicole Brown and Donald Glover.
Both Brown and Glover departed Community before the show ended in 2015, but it’s always been hoped that a reunion movie would bring back both stars to reprise their roles as Shirley and Troy. While the Community movie is still in its early stages, the absence of both actors in the cast list is a concern. Having previously spoken about what a Community movie may entail, both Dan Harmon and Donald Glover have spoken of a search for Troy, who was last seen setting sail with Star Trek actor LeVar Burton in season 5, episode 5, “Geothermal Escapism”.
Announcing the Community movie on Twitter, Jeff Winger actor Joel McHale tagged Yvette Nicole Brown and Donald Glover in his tweet. However, he also accidentally tagged X-Files and Sex Education actor Gillian Anderson instead of his Community co-star Gillian Jacobs – who isn’t on Twitter – so fans shouldn’t take this as an official confirmation of the returns of Shirley and Troy. Both Yvette Nicole Brown and Donald Glover should be in the Community movie, especially given how much they were missed when they left. While Chevy Chase surely won’t be returning as Pierce, given his complicated relationship with the show, it will be hugely disappointing if it can’t coax back Shirley and Troy to complete the study group for the movie.
It’s still early days for the Community movie, so there’s every possibility that a deal can be struck for Donald Glover’s return. The announcement by Peacock follows Dan Harmon’s recent reveal that a script was being shopped around studios and streamers, so the announcement just confirms the successful bidder. No director has been announced, nor has a release date been set in stone, which suggests that discussions are still taking place elsewhere to bring back other members of the Community cast. If anything, the confirmation by Peacock may be more enticing for Glover, giving him a concrete project that he can sign on to.
Given how busy the actor is with his music career, Atlanta season 4, and the upcoming Mr. & Mrs. Smith show for Amazon, Glover’s absence from the confirmed cast list could be a simple case of ironing out his availability. Donald Glover has certainly appeared open to a return, stating his interest in a Community movie during an online table read to raise money for COVID-19 relief. Dan Harmon certainly appeared keen on Glover’s pitch for a Star Trek III: The Search For Spock-style movie to find Troy, after he and LeVar Burton were apparently captured by pirates later in Community season 5.
Dan Harmon was probably keen on Glover’s pitch at the 2020 table read because he’d originally suggested it during a Comic-Con panel to promote Community season 6. The search for Troy would make him a major part of the Community movie without Glover having to commit to a packed filming schedule. He would only need to commit to an extended cameo for the movie’s climax, and some inserts as the study group embark on a road movie to rescue him from his pirate predicament. Whatever form it takes, Donald Glover’s appearance must be an essential part of the Community movie.