It's been twenty-eight years since audiences said goodbye to Kevin Arnold, Winnie Cooper, Paul Pfeiffer, and the rest of The Wonder Years cast. Now, the beloved ABC series about growing up and growing pains is back with a new cast, and fans have their first look at what to expect from the reboot.
Fred Savage, who played Kevin Arnold in the original series, has been teasing clues about the Wonder Years reboot since early 2021 and dropped the first trailer for the series on Instagram. The trailer only shows about thirty-three seconds of footage from the show, but it's enough to see that the reboot will serve viewers the same nostalgic charm that was a hallmark of the original.
In the Wonder Years trailer, we meet Dean Williams, played by Elisha Williams, the reboot's version of Kevin Arnold. In the same fashion as the original series, a narrator voiced by Don Cheadle brings viewers insight into Dean's thoughts and musings as he navigates boyhood in 1960s Alabama. There are glimpses of bike riding, baseball, and possibly even a glimpse at the reboot's version of Winnie Cooper, Kevin's childhood sweetheart.
Savage is serving as a producer on The Wonder Years and directed the pilot episode, which can only ensure that everything audiences loved about the original will carry on with the new show. Saladin K. Patterson is also a producer and the only credited writer for the show's pilot episode, according to IMDb. His previous work includes shows like Dave, Two and A Half Men, and the mega-popular The Big Bang Theory. The show's third producer is Lee Daniels, whose previous work includes Empire, Lee Daniels' The Butler, and Precious. The show will also be starring former The West Wing star Dulé Hill as Dean's dad, Laura Kariuki as Dean's sister, and Saycon Sengbloh as Dean's mom.
Before the Wonder Years trailer dropped, Savage had kept fans in the loop about the reboot's progress. He continued the trend of stars sharing news about their projects on Instagram, as seen with David Harbour for his upcoming role in Marvel Studios' Black Widow, with the official announcement of the reboot. He posted a photo from the original series and captioned the picture with, "Exciting things coming!"
He also posted a heartwarming video on Instagram showing the moment Elisha Williams received the news that he'd won the part of Dean. If the trailer is any indication, fans of the original Wonder Years should be pleased with the reboot.
The Wonder Years will be airing this fall on ABC.
Source: Fred Savage/ Instagram