Donald Glover’s Troy Barnes is one of the main members of the study group throughout the first five seasons of Community, and with a potential movie in the works, many viewers are wondering if Glover will return. While “six seasons and a movie” has been the slogan of the Community fanbase for a long time, not much has come out since the series’ sixth and final season in 2015, leaving the possibility of a movie finale unlikely until now. Series creator Dan Harmon’s recent comments on the Community movie have made it clear that the film is more likely now than ever, reigniting speculation about Donald Glover’s return as Troy Barnes.
Donald Glover was part of the main cast of Community since the series premiere, with the actor being the second member of the study group to leave the series after Chevy Chase’s departure in the first episode of season 5. Community season 5, episode 5, “Geothermal Escapism,” was the last episode Glover appeared in, with Troy leaving Greendale in order to sail around the globe as a way to honor the will of Pierce Hawthorne (Chevy Chase). While the show would go on for another season and a half without Glover, the door was left open for his return. While fans hoped for a cameo of some kind, like Michael Scott’s return in The Office finale, Troy never reappeared in Community, but hope hasn’t been lost completely with the possibility of a Community movie, where the cast could be reunited.
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Donald Glover had a multitude of reasons for leaving Community, but the actor definitely has no bad blood with the cast. In fact, he has been rather friendly with his Community co-stars online since his departure, proving that the series is still close to his heart. And while he has grown in fame and popularity following his time on the show, Glover has displayed a passion for exercising his creativity in different mediums, so if the Community movie allowed him to get involved potentially as a writer, or a director in addition to playing Troy, it might just persuade him to agree.
Why Donald Glover Left Community
While Donald Glover leaving Community was the start of the show’s decline, the actor has been clear about his reasons for leaving the series. Donald Glover has done a lot since Community ended, with him kicking off a successful music career as Childish Gambino, creating the FX comedy-drama series Atlanta, and starring in blockbuster movies like Solo: A Star Wars Story and The Lion King. However, at the time of his departure in 2014, Community was the main thing Donald Glover had going for him. Yes, the actor had been featured in other film and TV roles, but Glover was most known for Community – and he didn’t like that.
In a series of now-removed Instagram posts from 2013, Glover explained that he was leaving Community mainly for several undisclosed personal reasons but also because he was unsure what he actually wanted to do with his career. After leaving the series, Glover’s career as a musician and dramatic actor seriously took off, with him arguably being the most famous member of Community’s main cast. Unlike Chevy Chase’s departure from Community, Donald Glover’s choice to leave was purely his own, with there being no bad blood or hard feelings between himself and the rest of Community‘s cast.
Will Donald Glover Return For The Community Movie
Since his departure from the series, viewers have wondered if Donald Glover will return for the Community movie. Up until recently, this was mostly up to speculation. In recent years, though, various members of Community‘s main cast, such as Joel McHale, have revealed that Donald Glover is eager to return for the Community movie. At a virtual Community cast reunion in 2021, Donald Glover himself confirmed that he would like to return for the upcoming movie, meaning that Troy Barnes will most likely be returning to Greendale when the Community movie finally releases.
Related: Community Movie: Release Date, Cast, Story, Will It Happen?
How Troy Could Fit Into The Community Movie’s Story
Donald Glover left Community in “Geothermal Escapism,” where Troy Barnes leaves with LeVar Burton on a quest to sail around the world, with Troy’s journey presumably continuing for the rest of the series. While the plot for a Community movie is hard to predict, as certain episodes of the series have had some pretty far-out plots, it is most likely that Troy will simply return from the sea and rejoin the study group. With most of the group going their own ways in the series finale, the Community movie will have to spend a lot of time getting everyone back to Greendale, and Troy’s trip around the world will probably have finished in the time between the end of Community season 6 and the movie. Although Troy simply returning is the most likely option, there is a more interesting way that Troy can be brought back to the series.
Community teased Troy Barnes’ fate in season 5, episode 6, “Analysis of Cork-Based Networking,” with a subtle news ticker reading “LeVar Burton and non-celebrity companion captured by pirates in the Gulf of Mexico.” While only keen-eyed viewers noticed this joke, it has been accepted as Troy’s canonical fate in the Community universe, with Donald Glover even guessing that Troy is dead in the virtual cast reunion. However, there is a possibility that the Community movie could follow the study group reuniting in order to rescue Troy, whether he is stranded on an island or captured by pirates. While it sounds ridiculous, stories like these are when Community is at its best, and an adventure to rescue Troy would be the perfect way to bring Donald Glover back for the Community movie.
