Community Movie: Joel McHale Says Donald Glover Set To Return And Gives Update On Filming

Six seasons and a movie — the joke that became the motto for "Community" has left fans on the edge of their seats for years, waiting for the ever-elusive promise to finally come to fruition. While the "Community" movie has had its fair share of production issues, questions surrounded whether Donald Glover would participate in the project. Although Glover suggested he would take part, there was no official confirmation until today.

"Donald's coming back, and that's really important," "Community" star Joel McHale revealed on Kelly Ripa's "Let's Talk Off Camera" podcast. "The fact that Donald's gonna do it, that was the big piece. But I think everyone's coming back. I mean, so far, we're pretty good. And I think that will happen. If not, then, you know, Donald will be there."

As for the plot, "Everybody dies," McHale joked before revealing the plan is to start filming the "Community" movie next summer. With a mid-2024 production start in mind, fans could get the long-awaited project at some point in 2025, assuming all of Hollywood's ongoing strikes have settled in time to start production.

We fully believe Joel McHale when he says Donald Glover was one of the most important pieces to secure for the "Community" movie. Not only was his character, Troy Barnes, a fan favorite, especially when paired with Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi), but Glover's career has taken off since his "Community" days. However, he's not the only star McHale and the "Community" production may have trouble nailing down.

In May 2020, the "Community" cast reunited for a virtual table read of "Cooperative Polygraphy," the episode where Pierce Hawthorne's (Chevy Chase) associate, Mr. Stone (Walton Goggins), reads his will. Goggins couldn't make the live stream, so Pedro Pascal filled in for him, meaning the "Community" movie could include everyone's sweetheart. During his appearance on the "Let's Talk Off Camera" podcast, McHale joked, "Hopefully, Walton and Pedro would both come back on," recognizing how difficult that may be thanks to Pascal's new levels of fame.

Although McHale seems to be joking when mentioning Goggins and Pascal returning, having both actors play the same character in the "Community" movie would perfectly fit the show's sense of humor. It seems like a long shot, but we wouldn't put it past "Community" to somehow make it happen. What we do know for sure, as McHale reiterated during the podcast, is that Chevy Chase will have no presence in the project, which is for the best.