Rider Strong Not Involved With ‘Girl Meets World’

Cory and Topanga will be back for Boy Meets World sequel series Girl Meets World, but that doesn’t mean Cory’s old buddy Shawn Hunter will be joining them. Rider Strong, who played the troubled charmer in the 90s series, said that he has “no official involvement” in the new show.

On his website earlier today, Strong denied rumors that he had signed on for Girl Meets World:

“So I am extremely happy for Ben and Danielle to be able to continue the story. At this point, I have no official involvement in Girl Meets World. There might be a chance to see some of the BMW cast in a guest spot, and I think it would be nice to find out where our characters have been all these years. But Girl Meets World will be, and I think it should be, it’s own show. It will be about Cory and Topanga, their daughter, and a new set of characters.”

As Salon puts it, “To say that this is a disappointment for superfans is an understatement.” But a piece Strong wrote for Bullet Magazine in February may give some hint as to why he’d turn down the chance to reprise the Shawn Hunter role:

“Let’s be honest, more Boy Meets World would only further ruin his [the character of Shawn Hunter] life. Being The Dramatic Storyline in a 22-minute comedy series takes its toll. It was never easy for him to live a sitcom existence, where poverty can be a punch line, where alcoholic parents can be funny, where no matter how much you learn—no matter how much Mr. Feeny sets you straight— you come back the next week, making the same old mistakes. And the laugh track roars.

“Shawn was never meant for that world. He was too dark, too self-indulgent, too whiny. He was a downer! How many times can one character experience loss? Give a heart-wrenching monologue? Go on a soul-searching road trip? Conversely, he’d never survive another genre. Despite his bad-boy posturing, perhaps summed up best by his faux-retro, pseudo-biker look, Shawn wouldn’t have lasted minutes in a drama. He may have acted out with some hijinks, but deep down, Shawn’s pretty vanilla. He never swears. He’s never done drugs. The furthest he’s been from home is Disney World. I think he’s still a virgin. None of this would fly on Breaking Bad, Six Feet Under, or House. For all of his flaws, Shawn’s, well, safe.”

Alright Mr. Strong, you make a persuasive point. Still, I’m hoping for some original Boy Meets World cameos. Honestly, they should ditch the new characters and just make an adult series for the now-grownup Boy Meets World audience. Now I’m just rambling.

Are you hoping Rider Strong , a.k.a. Shawn Hunter, will show up in Girl Meets World?