We’re hitting the streets of Los Angeles again with our blue and red lights, blaring sirens, and “Daddy Cop” on the radio as Season 8 of The Rookie is given delightful updates at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con.
The cop procedural is one of the most talked-about on TV at the moment, giving us iconic lines and an even more iconic will-they-won’t-they romance in the form of Chenford. We started with a group of rookie cops stumbling their way around a police station and their TO’s shops, but now, the show has taken flight, quite literally, as Season 8 kicks off in Prague after the rollercoaster of the Season 7 finale, where new villains are forced to work with our favorite L.A. cops.
Cast member Nathan Fillion, who plays John Nolan, and writer Alexi Hawley sat down with Collider’s Steve Weintraub at SDCC 2025 to talk about the new season. Before delving into The Rookie, they recall their favorite theaters, and Fillion reveals a quirky yet sweet habit he has on set. Following the announcement that Season 8’s first episode is in Prague, Hawley reveals how the show managed the logistics and budget through thrifty “pod-car” episodes, including the unusual rigs and skills these special cars demand from the cast. They also tease Season 8, including a coveted update on Chenford’s future, while Fillion also teases his “F-Bomb” filled involvement in Netflix’s upcoming show, Lanterns, following his role in Superman. You can hear all about this straight from Fillion and Hawley in the video above, or you can read the transcript below.
‘The Rookie’s Nathan Fillion Gifts Guest Stars Gadgets on Set
“A welcome gift.”
COLLIDER: I have so many questions for you about The Rookie, but I like throwing a few curves at the beginning. I’m obsessed with getting more people to see movies in movie theaters. For both of you, do you have a favorite movie theater?
NATHAN FILLION: I do.
ALEXI HAWLEY: I know what you’re going to say. Go ahead.
FILLION: Mine is the IPIC. There’s one in Westwood, there’s one in Pasadena. It’s reclining chairs, some good food. I go when I’m hungry and don’t eat beforehand. That’s the way to see a movie.
HAWLEY: I like The [Chinese] because the two times I’ve been there have been for premieres, both for Superman and then for Exorcist: The Beginning, which was the prequel that I was the last writer standing on. So, it felt like it was the premiere movie theater.
Here at Comic-Con, a lot of people collect things. Do you collect anything, or if you’re on the Comic-Con floor, what would you be looking for?
HAWLEY: I have a fairly large comic book collection. That being said, I haven’t actually collected comics in a while, at this point. I kind of fell off on it. Honestly, my old eyes have a hard time reading comics now. There’s something about panel layouts and stuff that’s a little harder for me to input it.
FILLION: You just do the iPad apps for comics because they make the panels much bigger. I collect flashlights and fidgets.
Are you being sincere?
FILLION: Not the spinners. More like clickety clack things with haptic kind of magnetic… Yeah. They quiet my mind.
HAWLEY: Nathan’s a very big gadget guy.
FILLION: I love gadgets. I collect gadgets, as well.
HAWLEY: He’s also very generous. Any time anybody comes to set, guest stars, stuff like that, they’ll find something in their trailer.
FILLION: A welcome gift. Some nice headphones, a battery for their phones, a Bluetooth speaker, or something like that.
Hawley Talks Navigating a Police Show in Today’s Political Climate
“Policing was a complicated, and still remains a complicated thing.”Nathan, I have an individual question for you. Most actors, if they win the actor lottery, they get to be on one show that lasts multiple seasons. You have won the actor’s lottery a lot. You had Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place. You had Castle. Now you have The Rookie. I don’t know what the question is, but how the F have you done it? Because it is impossible to do what you’ve managed to do.
FILLION: I can’t tell you, “If you do this, then you’ll get TV shows, and they’ll run for a long time,” but I will tell you that the three steps to what I consider being successful are: be lucky, be grateful, and pretend to be bold.
Have you sent a thank-you card to Robot Chicken for helping you get Green Lantern?
FILLION: Actually, Robot Chicken got me in there because I was Green Lantern before for Andrew Romano. She used to pilfer the Joss Whedon projects for casting different DC shows, WB stuff, all the animated stuff. So I was Hal Jordan in that first, and then Robot Chicken had me continue that role, and I think kept me in the minds of those who think about Green Lantern.
