EXCLUSIVE: Corey Hawkins on Getting Kiefer Sutherland's Stamp of Approval for '24: Legacy'

The 24 franchise gets resurrected on Super Bowl Sunday with the premiere of 24: Legacy, and star Corey Hawkins spilled details to ET.

"The spirit of Jack Bauer is still in this show," Hawkins told ET's Nischelle Turner on the set, assuring fans that even though the series will continue without Kiefer Sutherland's famous character, the show sticks to its roots.

READ: Kiefer Sutherland Isn't Planning on Playing Jack Bauer Again

Sutherland gave Hawkins his stamp of approval to carry the series expansion at a Television Critics Association session last fall -- a gesture Hawkins does not take lightly.

"Kiefer's just been awesome," Hawkins told ET's Leanne Aguilera at a recent TCA event. "He's the only other person who really knows what this particular journey is and the only other person that I could talk to."

Hawkins, 28, found stardom after his dynamic portrayal of Dr. Dre in 2015's Straight Outta Compton, but his new role shows off an entirely different set of skills.

WATCH: New Trailer for Fox's '24: Legacy'

In the series, Hawkins plays Sergeant Carter, a former U.S. Army Ranger who helps take down a terrorist leader, only to find himself a marked man. As expected, the action scenes require a huge physical effort.

"The days are long and the stunts are real, so it is a lot," Hawkins admitted. "But I think, mentally, that's the thing. Literally, you have to be on 24/7."

24: Legacy continues the same real-time format that the original series followed with each season covering a single 24-hour period, but there are still plenty of changes.

"It's a completely new story and a completely new cast," said Miranda Otto.

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"The country and the world have gone through big changes in terms of what perceived threats are, and how a government deals with them," Jimmy Smits added.

24: Legacy premieres Sunday, Feb. 5 on Fox directly after Super Bowl LI.