Sorry, folks. Small, fan-girl breakdown approaching. Oh, hell yes! Nathan Fillion (aka Capt. Mal Reynolds) has been reunited with Firefly scribe Tim Minear to star in Fox's mid-season replacement Drive. Fillion will play Alex Tully, a "charming, rogue landscaper" who is coerced into joining a cross-country race in order to search for his abducted wife. (Alright, if that character description came from anyone other than Minear, I might be more skeptical.) In the original version of the pilot, the role was played by Ivan Sergei.

While he had initially been approached for the role, Fillion had to turn it down due to a scheduling conflict. After the pilot was shot, but before Fox had picked up the show, he was approached for a second time by executive producer Minear. This time he was able to accept, and the Whedonverse rejoiced. Drive debuts in March.