He's not denying it would be legen—wait for it—dary.
But Neil Patrick Harris also isn't ashamed to admit that How I Met Your Mother's Barney Stinson made some very questionable choices that probably shouldn't be revisited.
The actor frankly thinks that his character would be canceled if the show hadn't ended in 2014. So, it makes sense that he doesn't expect an invitation to appear in the Hulu spinoff series How I Met Your Father.
In his Wondercade newsletter, the star told HIMYF's Hilary Duff, "As for coming on your show (insert joke here), I worry Barney's antics, his overt delusions of grandeur, would likely get everyone in trouble. So, unless he's changed his ways or joined a nunnery (insert joke here), not sure if it's in anyone's best interest."
And Hilary, who serves as producer and the show's star on the hunt for her kids' titular father, agrees. "I'm not sure how you feel about this, but I'm pretty sure Barney would … be in jail in 2022."
Still, every friend group has a Barney, that one person who tells inappropriate jokes or is a bit off-kilter. And for HIMYF, Valentina (Francia Raisa) fills out that role quite nicely.
Hilary hesitates to compare the spinoff to the O.G. series but acknowledged there are some similarities that can't be ignored. "To avoid trying too hard to keep up with the magic of the original, I would say we try not to recreate characters," she explained. "But you're twisting my arm, Neil, so … it's possible the show's Valentina character is the most Barney-esque. There, I said it."
She added, "Since we're living in the world of females coming into power, I'm assuming that's why they made him a woman!"
In January, Francia told E! News that the show's focus on female stories is what drew her to the role in the first place. "What I love is these females are their own women that are inspired with their careers," she explained. "Yes, love is a big part but what I love about Sophie (Hilary) is she's not willing to change herself too much for anyone else, and if she does, she's quick to come back. And I love the friendship between them."
Francia admitted that they included some elements from the original series, like Marshall and Lily's apartment, "but it's not too similar."
To learn more about the connections between the spinoff and original, check out our story here!