Charlie Hunnam Clears up ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Revival: This Is Not Season 8

Sons of Anarchy fans may finally have an answer to the biggest question surrounding the show’s surprising return: no, this is not season 8.

The FX biker drama ended back in 2014 after seven seasons, leaving fans with a finale that was about as final as a TV ending can get. Jax Teller, played by Charlie Hunnam, was killed, while many other major characters also met tragic endings. For years, it seemed impossible to bring the original story back without undoing everything that happened.

Now, more than a decade later, the Sons of Anarchy name is returning with a new project called Legacy. But according to Hunnam, fans should not expect the story of Jax Teller and SAMCRO to simply continue where it stopped.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hunnam made it clear that Legacy is not being treated as a traditional eighth season. Instead, the project is taking the franchise in a completely different direction, one that could be much stranger than fans are expecting.

The basic idea behind Legacy is a meta story. Rather than bringing the Sons of Anarchy characters back to Charming, California, the new series reportedly brings the cast members together at a fan convention years after the original show ended. Things then take a darker turn when a real-world threat enters the picture.

That setup gives the project a very different feel from a normal sequel. Hunnam, Ron Perlman, Katey Sagal, Maggie Siff, Mark Boone Junior, Tommy Flanagan, Kim Coates and Theo Rossi are all expected to be part of the project, but that does not mean they will simply step back into their old roles.

Instead, the series is expected to play with the connection between the actors, the characters they became famous for, and the fans who followed Sons of Anarchy for years. It sounds less like a resurrection of the original story and more like a thriller built around the legacy of the show itself.

Hunnam also reportedly wanted the whole idea to remain secret for much longer. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he explained that the plan was to keep the project under wraps, but news began to leak from other outlets. That eventually forced FX to announce the project on August 19.

The announcement also brought another important detail. Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter is not directly writing or producing Legacy. Sutter has, however, reportedly given the project his public blessing. Katey Sagal, who is also Sutter’s wife, is attached to the cast.

For Hunnam, the new project is not just about appearing on screen. He is also developing and executive producing Legacy alongside Rob Mac, Nicholas Frenkel and Jackie Cohn. FX Productions and 20th Television are behind the series, which is expected to air on FX and stream on Hulu.

The idea has already divided fans. Some viewers believe the original ending should simply be left alone, especially after Jax’s story was given such a clear conclusion. Others are curious to see what the cast can do with a concept that does not try to rewrite the past.

The biggest advantage of Legacy may actually be that it is not pretending to be season 8. Bringing Jax back would almost certainly take away from the impact of the original ending. By going in another direction, the new series can revisit the world of Sons of Anarchy without pretending that the events of the finale never happened.

For now, there is still plenty fans do not know about Legacy. But one thing is clear from Hunnam’s comments to The Hollywood Reporter: this is not a simple return to the old days.

It is something new, built around the show that fans already know.

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