If you couldn't help but wonder if those Sex and the City reboot rumors were really true, you can stop. It's official, Sex and the City will return for a new HBO Max revival, but it's not going to be the show fans remember. Not only is Kim Cattrall's Samantha Jones not returning, the show is also getting a new name, And Just Like That... With all the changes, I couldn't help but wonder, is Big returning for the Sex and the City reboot?
Stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis all confirmed the news of the reboot on Sunday, Jan. 10, with matching Instagram posts. The post itself doesn't reveal much, other than the name of the show. But the comments section revealed a whole lot more. After fans noticed that Cattrall was not tagged in her announcement post, Parker confirmed that actor would be sitting this one out, and seemed to announce that they would not be recasting the role of Samantha, telling her followers, "we have some new stories to tell."
So what does that mean for Carrie's husband, Mr. Big? Will he be left in the past for a "new story" too? Let's analyze the clues we have so far.
Clue 1: The Tease
When a fan asked if Big, played by Chris Noth, would be returning, Parker teased, "wait and see... x." And her lack of denial here but readiness to speak on Samantha's future speaks volumes.
Without completely reading into three words and a DOT DOT DOT, "wait and see..." certainly seems like he will be incorporated into the show, somehow. It would be a total bummer if his return to the series would be teased like this just for him to not show up at all.
Clue 2: The Show's Description
These "new stories" that Parker teased could definitely apply to Carrie and Big's volatile relationship, too. The official And Just Like That... description doesn't give a lot of hope for the couple, instead it focuses on Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte "as they navigate the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s."
If Carrie and Big are still navigating their complicated relationship, first of all... still? Second of all, it could mean a return of Big just for him to leave. Again.
Clue 3: The Cursed SATC 3 Movie
When fans last saw Big and Carrie in Sex and the City 2 in 2010, the couple had reconciled after hitting a rough patch — featuring the surprise return of Carrie's ex, Aidan — so, as far as we know, the two are still together. If Big is still even alive.
Plans to kill Big off in the never produced Sex and the City 3 movie were revealed in 2018 by Origins podcast host James Andrew Miller. Miller claimed that sources close to the planned third film confirmed that Big was meant to die of a heart attack. This rumor was never confirmed, however, and Noth himself flat out denied it at the time, telling The Sun, "There's no way he was dying. That was all a lie."
Even if the rumor was true, writers of And Just Like That... might want to rethink the storyline, given that most Sex and the City fans already know about it. Why recycle an old spoiler when you can surprise fans with something new?
Clue 4: Chris Noth Is. Over. It.
Of course, this entire investigation hinges on whether or not Noth even wants to return. He may have been against the idea of Big dying, but, at the time, he was also certain at the time that Sex and the City was over for good. "There's no drama. There's no movie, there's nothing going on with it. It's dead, it's over, it's gone," he reportedly told Cover Media at the 2018 British Independent Film Awards. He might choose to leave the past in the past.
The actor has yet to comment on the reboot news, but it's hard to imagine that he wouldn't return in some capacity, even if it was just via flashback, right? RIGHT? Responding to fans in the comments, SJP gave explicit instructions to follow the official And Just Like That... Instagram page for updates. So, Mr. Big, if you're looking to come sweep me off my feet, you know where to find me.
Image: Screenshot via HBO Max