MacGruber TV Series - What We Know So Far

Since it came out in 2010, the cult comedy classic "MacGruber" has been begging for some sort of sequel. Based on the recurring "Saturday Night Live" sketch, the film starred Will Forte as the titular spy/handyman/basket case. Looper considers the "MacGruber" movie one of the most underrated films of the 2010s, but it looks like Peacock is finally rating it correctly. A "MacGruber" series was announced for the network in 2020, with a trailer coming out at the beginning of 2021.

"MacGruber" told the story of ex-Green Beret, Navy SEAL, and Army Ranger MacGruber. Brought out of retirement by Lieutenant Dixon Piper (Ryan Phillippe), MacGruber battles Dieter Von Cunth (Val Kilmer) to retrieve a nuclear warhead. He is assisted by his old friend/love interest Vicki St. Elmo (Kristen Wiig). "MacGruber" featured gross-out laughs, big explosions, and one of the funniest sex scenes committed to film. But what does the Peacock series have in store for viewers?

No official release date has been set for the "MacGruber" TV show, but pre-production and production are already in full swing. Promoting "Sweet Tooth" on the June 9 episode of "Late Night with Seth Meyers," Forte explained that shooting was set to begin June 14 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Which is Flag Day, by the way — a perfect kick-off for America's No. 1 patriot, MacGruber. 

Given the amount of time shooting and post-takes on a series, "MacGruber" could come to Peacock as soon as late 2021, but also very possibly in 2022. The streamer is still in a full-court press for "Girls5eva," which shares the "SNL" veteran demographic. Other Peacock shows with TBD release dates include a TV version of the Seth MacFarlane stuffed animal raunchfest franchise "Ted" (as reported by SyFy Wire) and a take on "Vampire Academy" from "Vampire Diaries" co-creator Julie Plec (per Deadline).

Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, and Ryan Phillippe are confirmed to be reprising their film roles in the TV version of "MacGruber." Forte told Seth Meyers that Wiig and Phillippe were getting into Albuquerque this week to start shooting. Wiig played MacGrubers's friend-turned-love-interest Vicki St. Elmo, a character that carried over from the "SNL" sketches. Phillippe was new to the franchise in the film, playing Dixon Piper. Piper, with his more by-the-book style of military intelligence work, initially butted heads with MacGruber. But the two found common ground as they pursued Kilmer's villainous Dieter Von Cunth.

Three other supporting players have been announced, and they all bring god-tier acting chops to the show. Variety reported that Sam Elliott, Laurence Fishburne, and Mickey Rourke have all joined the cast. Elliott will play MacGruber's father, Fishburne will play General Barrett Fasoose, and Rourke will play the dastardly Brigadier Commander Enos Queeth.

As reported by Vulture, the "MacGruber" TV show will kick off with MacGruber having been in prison for the past 10 years. "[A]fter rotting in prison for over a decade, America's ultimate hero and uber patriot MacGruber (played by Forte) is finally released," the logline read. "His mission: to take down a mysterious villain from his past—Brigadier Commander Enos Queeth."

We also know that Vicki and MacGruber, who got married in the film, have since divorced. Fishburne's character, General Fasoose, is not only a respected military man; he is also Vicki's new hubby. The plot description for the new series hints that "evil may be lurking within," meaning someone on the MacGruber team is in cahoots with Queeth. Is it the new man in Vicki's life? Or has St. Elmo herself gone to the bad?

In many ways, however, plot is irrelevant in a "MacGruber" film. The action-comedy is a send-up of formulaic films and TV shows like "MacGyver" and "Lethal Weapon." The plot is less the reason for showing up and more like a very nice coat rack on which to hang goofs. Then the coat rack explodes. That's the charm of "MacGruber."