If there’s ever a revival for Glee, don’t expect to see Artie return - at least not with the same actor in the role. In the musical TV series, which ran for six seasons from 2009 to 2015, Kevin McHale was featured as part of the ensemble cast with his role as Artie Abrams, a high school student living with a physical disability that requires the use of a wheelchair. In real life, McHale is not wheelchair-bound, and there has since been some criticism over casting him over an actor with a disability.
We are in the era of reboots, revivals, and legacy sequels, so there’s always a chance that a return to Glee could happen at some point as well. If that comes to fruition, McHale says that his Artie wouldn’t be able to return, as he no longer feels comfortable playing the character in light of the criticism. That’s not to say he wouldn’t be involved with a new Glee series, but he would have to play a different character entirely, even if that means growing out a beard. As McHale told Insider:
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It isn’t the first time McHale has come to question why he took the role. He previously said in a 2019 episode of his podcast Showmance, which is co-hosted with co-star Jenna Ushkowitz, that he “didn’t know better” at the time of his casting. Now, he sees the situation from the other side.
Will There Be a Glee Reboot?
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Kevin McHale made it clear that he’s up for a Glee return but only if he’s playing someone besides Artie. As for Ushkowitz, she also has one condition in place for a potential return, as she tells Insider.
Time will tell if the Glee reboot ever comes to fruition, but for now, Ryan Murphy is keeping busy with telling serial killer stories at Netflix.
