The Rookie is a fun show to watch, and evidently, it's a fun show to be on. The police drama has attracted an astonishing number of cameos and guest spots from superstar actors and musicians over the course of its seven seasons. There's one character, however, that showrunner Alexi Hawley would like to bring back more than any other: Pete Nolan.
Pete Nolan is the half-brother of The Rookie's protagonist, and he's played by superstar comic Pete Davidson. He appeared in three episodes of the show between seasons 2 and 4, and Hawley would love a chance to bring him back for a cameo. "We always try [to get him back as Pete]. We love Pete and I think he really enjoys doing the show," the showrunner told TV Line.
Alexi Hawley wants Nolan's half brother to return
The only reason Davidson hasn't returned as the younger Nolan is because his schedule has been packed with other film and television roles. "He is a very busy man, and we were not able to find an episode in which he was free," Hawley explained. "But I’d definitely love to see him back." Davidson actually got involved in The Rookie through one of these high-profile film roles.
Davidson appeared alongside Rookie star Nathan Fillion in the blockbuster film The Suicide Squad, and it was during production that the two became friends. Fillion suggested Davidson play his little brother on The Rookie, and the rest, as they say, is history. The former recounted this during a 2020 interview with SiriusXM’s EW Live.
"We had him come down and do an episode of The Rookie, he plays my half-brother," Fillion noted. "One’s a cop, one’s a pain in the a*s — and now they’re half-brothers. It's amazing." The actor went on to admit that he was "ashamed" by the way he judged Davidson prior to meeting him on the set of the aforementioned Suicide Squad film, and now considers Davidson to be an "incredibly kind" person.
Hawley also wants to revive Elijah Stone
"It's been a pleasure seeing what this unlikely friend of mine can do with being an unlikely half-brother and friend to my character," Fillion explained to the Hollywood Reporter. Both Alexi Hawley and Fillion want Davidson to return to The Rookie, but in the event he doesn't, Hawley named a second character that he'd like to incorporate into future episodes.
The showrunner thinks it would be exciting to revive Elijah Stone following the character's departure in season 5. Stone, played by Brandon Jay McLaren, was an antagonist, and one that fans consider to be among the best in the franchise's history. Hawley agrees with the fans, and voiced a desire to get Stone "back into our show."
Hopefully, we will get to see one, if not both, of these character returns take place following ABC's decision to renew The Rookie for another season.