'24: Legacy' release date, plot spoilers: 'Legacy' is not a reboot, EP says; crossover with original series possible

The upcoming "24: Legacy" is not a reboot of "24," the popular crime/espionage thriller that aired between 2001 and 2010, the show's executive producers have said.

Rather, "24; Legacy" is a spin-off that tells a new story focusing on Eric Carter (Corey Hawkins), an ex-Army Ranger who returns to the U.S. and becomes involved in an attempt to prevent terrorist attacks.

"It's more of an expansion of the '24' universe," executive producer Manny Coto explained during the show's Comic-Con panel on Sunday, July 24. "It's not a reboot. Jack Bauer and Chloe [Mary Lynn Rajskub] are still out there. This is a new window into the '24' universe with a new perspective and a new character. You never know when those worlds may intersect."

But while "Legacy" follows a new protagonist and an entirely new series of events, the show's executive producers hinted that there is a possibility that the spin-off will revisit Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), the central figure in "24," and the rest of the characters from the original series.

"There may be an intersection with those original characters down the line," "Legacy" executive producer Evan Katz said. "Anything is possible."

Nonetheless, he also explained that "24: Legacy" will focus on the new characters and on forming a bond between the characters and the audience.

Bauer's fate was left in question at the end of "24: Live Another Day." When asked about the "24" protagonist's whereabouts, Katz teased, "He's in Russia probably having a terrible time in prison."

"I think all of us want to finish that story," Coto added. "We all love that character."

However, the "Legacy" boss added that there are currently no plans to continue Bauer's story. For now, the team is focusing on telling the story of "24: Legacy."

During the Comic-Con panel, the "Legacy" executive producers also revealed that the spin-off will have the same format as the original, with each episode covering the entire 24 hours of a day.

"24: Legacy" will premiere in February 2017 on Fox.