Greg Williams/FOXThere's something about Jack. The lead character in 24, Jack Bauer, has been kicking butt and taking names for years, all in the name for the greater good. Kiefer Sutherland returns as the ultimate hero in 24: Live Another Day, the revival of Fox's hit drama that originally ran from 2001 to 2010. After talks of a movie stalled, Jack Bauer seemed to be down for the count. But then the impossible happened and Jack Bauer came back "from the dead," executive producer Howard Gordon said.
"It was like seeing a friend who you thought you said goodbye to for forever come back," Gordon said.
Along for the new ride are old favorites Kim Raver, Bill Devane and Mary Lynn Rajskub. "Yeah, it's totally bizarre," Rajskub said about returning to TV as Chloe O' Brian. "This is something that happens once in a lifetime that I'm even on a show like this that's so successful. I never thought this was going to happen."
During the original 24 run, Sutherland took home a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his work as the classic antihero. Sutherland's Jack Bauer does what he needs to do to get the job done and people just love the damn man.
What is it about Jack Bauer?
Kim Raver, Audrey Raines
"He was one of the first characters that wasn't like your perfect hero, he was kind of as damaged as the rest of us and yet had that thing of saving you. I feel like deep down inside we all kind of want to be rescued. I think Kiefer Sutherland brings such an extraordinary element to it that is so charismatic and so intelligent and so full of grace and so badass that it's just kind of an irresistible combination."
Robert Cochran, co-creator
"Well, there are a couple of things. One, he's a kickass guy which is always fun, but he does it in the service of justice, protecting the innocent and the greater good. Very seldom does he do anything for himself. You see a guy who takes all the risks and faces all the dangers, but he doesn't do that for any selfish reasons. You'd like to think there are people like that out there protecting us. Whether there are or not, I don't know, but you sure like to think so."
Yvonne Strahovski, Kate Morgan
"He's the ultimate hero, the ultimate agent. He's the good guy; he's genuinely that good guy. He doesn't often do the right thing, but he does the right thing by breaking the rules that's kind of exciting and people want to root for that."
David Fury, executive producer
"I think it's the fact he will go to desperate measures to protect the innocent. The fact he will do so many of our heroes—real life and fictional—have certain codes of behavior that doesn't allow them to save the public. Jack is at a point in his life where he will do anything and you want that guy who will do anything. He'll break every bone in his body but he'll come up on the other side protecting the innocent."
Evan Katz, executive producer
"He's this great iconic character. We never ruined it. I think we went out on a relatively high note and it's pure. Some people say he's part hero/part villain, he's an anti-hero. He isn't really; he's really just a hero. He never does anything for himself. He's always ready to sacrifice himself, which is rare. There's still not anybody really like him on TV…Jack is real in that horrible things have happened to him, the horrible prices he's paid, wears as a character and Kiefer as an actor plays that."
Tate Donovan, Mark Boudreau
"I think it's because he's a badass. People love a badass and he's a severe badass."
Howard Gordon, executive producer
"I can only describe it for me and my colleagues, we just missed Jack. He is a classic, cool American hero. Kiefer is great at the role in a way that is just—we missed him. You realize how much you miss someone only when they're gone."
Mary Lynn Rajskub, Chloe O'Brian
"I think everyone's got a little bit of Jack Bauer in them...He's a larger than life hero fighting for the good, by any means necessary. There's a bit of a sick fantasy about some of the stuff that he does that I think is exciting to people. It's kind of twisted, but also pretty great."
24: Live Another Day premieres Monday, May 5, at 8 p.m. on Fox.