Scott Bakula Finally Comments On The Speculation That He Might Return For The Quantum Leap Reboot

If you know the name Scott Bakula, it is likely from a few projects that flew under the radar for the majority of the last few decades. His most recent regular role was as Dwayne Pride on "NCIS" and its spin-off, "NCIS: New Orleans." At the turn of the century, Bakula was the face of the newest adventures of the Starship Enterprise as Captain Jonathan Archer in "Star Trek: Enterprise." However, arguably his most beloved and memorable role is in the early '90s sci-fi drama "Quantum Leap."

"Quantum Leap" follows Sam Beckett (Bakula), a scientist looking to prove his string theory to avoid losing funding. One day, he steps into his project accelerator and vanishes. When he awakens, he is in the body of a "leapee" and works to set the person's life on the right track before leaping again into a new body. With each leap, he hopes to go home; instead, he ends up in someone else's body and faces a new predicament, uttering the same catchphrase every time, "Oh boy," upon leaping into his new identity.

Now, NBC is launching a new reboot of the series, picking up 30 years after the original. Of course, like any reboot, fans immediately started asking when we could expect the franchise hero to make his triumphant return. Bakula had stayed quiet for a while, but he recently revealed whether or not he will appear.

According to TV Line, Sam Beckett appears in the reboot's pilot in the form of a photo of Ben Song's (Raymond Lee) predecessor. The revelation sparked rumors that Bakula would return to the series, or at least make a cameo appearance. Those hopes were shattered when Bakula took to Instagram to address the speculation. In a post with a photo of him and his co-star Dean Stockwell (who played his hologram guide, Al), he announced he would not be returning.

"To Quantum Leap fans around the world, in an effort to quiet the rumors and move on ... First of all, thanks for hanging around through the decades! Here's the simple version of what's going on with the Quantum Leap reboot and me: I have no connection with the new show, either in front of the camera or behind it," Bakula wrote.

Bakula went on to say that while he still cherishes his time on the original "Quantum Leap," he had to turn down the rebooted project. He called it a "difficult decision" and acknowledged that the move hurt and confused fans. "However, the idea of anyone 'leaping' around in time and walking a mile in someone else's shoes, remains a very appealing concept and so worthy of exploration, especially given the current state of mankind," he continued, wishing the new team the best of luck in capturing the magic of the original show. 

In a world inundated with reboots and revitalizations, it remains to be seen if this one can survive without the charm and lovability of Sam and Al.