Howard Gordon Talks Homeland, Bringing Back 24 & Casting Sean Bean In TNT’s Legends

“Homeland” is gearing up to return to Showtime for its third season this September and Executive Producer Howard Gordon hinted at the drama ahead.

“The focus this season really is the aftershocks of last year,” Howard told AccessHollywood.com at TNT’s 25th anniversary bash following Wednesday’s portion of the Television Critics Association Summer Tour in Beverly Hills.

“It’s very much in response to what happened last year – the events of last year and what happened with the characters,” he added, referring to the explosion that left 200 dead, including FBI boss David Estes (David Harewood) and sent Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) on the run (with help from Claire Danes’ Carrie Mathison).

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“Alex [Gansa] and the writing team has really, really embraced that,” Gordon continued. “They’ve honored what happened last year and had the courage to take their time telling that story. … It’s really nuanced, it’s really smart, and it’s really psychological, but it doesn’t hurry itself.”

Gordon confirmed that Damian’s recently shaved head is for Season 3 of the show, but was coy about the actor’s story arc.

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“I’ll say that Brody’s journey is very existential, as well,” he teased.

Gordon is also busy with “24,” which will return to Fox next May for a limited engagement.

“Basically, we all really missed him and we all wondered where he was,” Gordon said about why 2014 is the right time to bring Kiefer Sutherland’s famous character – Jack Bauer – back to television.

“There was something I feel like… had we done this right on the heels of the eighth season, would have felt bad for everybody and I think we’ve come to appreciate how special that character is,” he added. “And now, the question is how do you reinvent him even four years later, and I think we found some very cool ideas,” he said.

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Gordon said nothing is set yet, so they are keeping those writers’ room ideas under wraps. He was happy, however, to open up about his new show coming to TNT – “Legends,” starring former “Game of Thrones” star Sean Bean.

“He’s electric,” Gordon said of casting Bean as his leading man, Martin Odum, an agent working for the Deep Cover Operations division of the FBI.

“I had been a fan of his for so many years,” Gordon said. “The thing about Sean is he is extraordinary and charismatic and he’s a movie star, but he’s an actor and this part is about being an actor.”

And Gordon praised Bean’s performance in Season 1 of “Thrones.”

“It was transcendent and he has that kind of dignity and that kind of grace and the pathos that I think audiences have connected with and I hope this is a part and a role that really reengages the audiences with him,” Gordon said.

“Legends” premieres on TNT in 2014.

Jolie Lash

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