The HBO television series ‘Watchmen’ premieres next on month acting as a sequel to the Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons influential series and film of the same name. The series will finally be giving fans their first look at a world post-Ozymandias’ fake alien invasion and post-Dr. Manhattan. The series takes place after the conclusion of President Richard Nixon’s outstanding term as the leader of the United States.
Rather than being succeeded by Gerald Ford, Robert Redford will serve as the U.S. President in the HBO series. Though there were rumors that Redford himself would be appearing in the show, executive producer Damon Lindelof has made it explicitly clear that the actor has only been referenced by name and that he is not confirmed to appear in the series yet.
Lindelof stated to Entertainment Weekly, “I’ve had a lot of reservations about a lot of the creative choices made in the show.” He went on to say, “I don’t think any of the choices were made without reservations and conversations and ultimately a decision. I’m not entirely sure I’ll be able to defend every decision I made, but I’ll be able to explain why I made it. We had that conversation you’re suggesting. But the world of Watchmen is so heightened and so clearly it’s an alternate history that it will be clear to everyone we’re not talking about the real Robert Redford.”
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Lindelof also expressed that like the original ‘Watchmen’ Redford will not be a scapegoat in this series, but it will show the deterioration of the world and how it was caused by malevolent forces. “More importantly, the way we handle this story, you can’t blame Robert Redford for everything that’s happened in the world,” Lindelof asserted. “The show says Redford has a liberal ideology, much like the actual Robert Redford, and he was incredibly well-intentioned in terms of the legislation he passed and the America that he wanted to create. But that doesn’t mean it worked out the way he wanted it to. And that’s not on him, that’s on us.”
Redford’s last onscreen appearance was in earlier this year reprising his role as Alexander Pierce in ‘Avengers: Endgame‘. While he’s reportedly retired from acting, we are very hopeful that Lindeloff can convince him to appear in as the Commander in Chief of the United States for HBO’s upcoming series.
