Bauer. Jack Bauer. The character made famous by Kiefer Sutherland in the original "24" series (2001-2010) may be getting his own origin story prequel series.

That's the scoop from The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, and TheWrap. The sites all referenced sources saying the next chapter in the "24" franchise will reveal how Jack Bauer became the badass fans know and love.

Original series creators Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran are said to be co-writing a script with longtime showrunner Howard Gordon for what's hoped to be an ongoing series -- as opposed to the limited series like "24: Legacy" or "24: Live Another Day."

"24: Legacy" was canceled in 2017 after one season. At the time, Fox execs said they were working with "24" producers on continuing the franchise, still structured around the real-time format.

According to Deadline, this prequel is one of two "24" reboot ideas that are being developed, along with a legal thriller written by Howard Gordon and Jeremy Doner.

THR said the potential Jack Bauer prequel series hadn't started casting yet, but we'd need a new younger Jack Bauer for an origin story. (It would still be nice to have Kiefer involved in some way.) It's also not clear yet when the show could premiere on Fox. However, THR did repeat the rumor that Fox might launch a new "24" installment for midseason 2019. We'll see.

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