EXCLUSIVE: Corey Hawkins and '24: Legacy' Cast Talk Fan Excitement and the Show's Iconic Countdown Clock

By Zach Seemayer 7:59 PM PDT, July 24, 2016

The countdown clock is ticking once again in Fox's latest revival, 24: Legacy, and the cast is getting pumped up by the fan reactions to the upcoming series.

"It's been wild. I mean, it literally has been everywhere I go," star Corey Hawkins told ET's Leanne Aguilera at Comic-Con in San Diego, California on Saturday. "People are excited that it's coming back. Almost as excited as I am."

Hawkins, who stars as former Army Ranger Eric Carter in the new series, in place of Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer, was joined by co-stars Miranda Otto and Jimmy Smits, who marveled at being part of a show with such an expansive fan base and developed universe.

"I loved watching the show originally," Otto shared. "This world is fantastic and absolutely fascinating to me. So [getting to work on the show] is kind of a pinch yourself kind of thing."

"There's such an iconic kind of visual stamp with the clock going and the boxes and all that stuff, and to have it reinvigorated and expanded into this new universe [is exciting]," Smits added.

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In case you were worried, 24: Legacy is definitely keeping the LED countdown clock motif that became such a staple of the beloved series.

"24 isn't 24 without that," Hawkins explained. "I think that's what made it special then, it's what's makes it special now. It's the same universe but different characters, you know? And it just opens up the world a little bit more in different threads."

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In the series, Hawkins’ character is a former military man who is thrust into the world of espionage and national security threats. At the show's SDCC panel on Sunday, Hawkins opened up about his character, describing Carter as "a new hero for a new day."

"He has his flaws and over the course of the season he’s going to be forced to make morally questionable decisions in the same way Jack Bauer did [except] he’s a soldier," Hawkins shared. "The rules of engagement are different on the homeland."

24: Legacy premieres in 2017 on Fox.

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