Jake Johnson may have voiced Peter B. Parker in the Spider-Verse movies, starred in his own HBO series, and juggled multiple projects this year, but fans still can't let go of his most beloved role: Nick Miller from the Fox sitcom New Girl. In a recent interview promoting his new film The Dink, Johnson got candid about the possibility of revisiting the character that changed his life—and he laid out one non-negotiable condition.
Speaking with Collider's Taylor Gates, Johnson reflected on how New Girl split his life into two eras: before the show and after it ended in 2018. "I'll always love that show and everybody involved in it," he said. "My life is a before and after New Girl." He credited the series for giving him a career he never thought he'd have, admitting that before the show, he was prepared to bounce around small roles and eventually teach theater. "When New Girl happened, I realized, 'Oh, because of this show, I get to play this game for another 20 years.'"
But when it comes to a reboot, Johnson is clear: it all hinges on creator Elizabeth Meriwether. "I think what made that show was Liz's writing—her vision for it," he explained. "She continues to prove what a talent she is." Johnson praised Meriwether for having a clear vision and being open to actor input, a balance he says is rare. "Liz was a great first example of somebody who knew what she wanted in her head and therefore was open," he said. "If you pitched something new that was different, she would know when to go, 'I want to do that,' and she would also know when to go, 'We're not doing that. That's not this show.'"
Johnson's condition for returning as Nick Miller is simple: Meriwether must be at the helm. He emphasized that the show's magic came from her writing and the chemistry of the cast at that specific time in their lives. "The chemistry of the cast in that era of life—it was magic with the guest stars and everybody," he recalled. "So my role in that was not pitching. I would pitch things like that he talks to a guy in the park who doesn't speak back, pitch some weirdness of Nick."
The actor also drew a contrast between shows with a strong vision and those without. "I've done both now, where somebody doesn't have a vision, and they're like, 'Well, what do you think?' And I'm like, 'I think you're the writer, and I think you need a great vision, or we're fucked,'" he said. For Johnson, Meriwether set the standard for how a showrunner should operate.
With New Girl streaming and the cast back in the spotlight—Lamorne Morris recently starred in Spider-Noir—the appetite for a reboot is stronger than ever. But Johnson isn't rushing into anything. He's currently working on the Dan Goor show Sunset PI and promoting The Dink, a pickleball comedy on Apple TV+. Still, he left the door open: if Meriwether calls with a vision, he's ready to listen.
For now, fans can catch Johnson in The Dink and revisit the original series on streaming. As for a New Girl reboot? It's not off the table—but only if the right person is in charge.
