Angel: How Doyle Was Supposed To Return (& Why He Didn’t) – Screen Rant

In Angel, the lovable, vision-riddled demon Doyle was supposed to make a surprising return appearance after his season 1 death; here's why he didn't.

One of the more lovable characters inAngel, Allen Francis Doyle (Glenn Quinn), left the show tragically; discussions were had about bringing his character back to life, but this didn't end up happening due to real-life circumstances.

Armed with a darker premise and Joss Whedon at the helm, the 1999 spin-off series to cult TV show,Buffy the Vampire Slayer,Angelfocused around David Boreanaz's character that was first introduced as Buffy's (Sarah Michelle Gellar) primary love interest. A vampire with a soul, Angel's tragic historyand eternally looming potential as a villainmade him one of the more intriguing and complex characters in the teen supernatural drama. After his departure in season 3 ofBuffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel took to the streets of Los Angeles, a Batman-esque figure protecting the innocent to atone for his centuries of bloodshed.

Related: Angel: Why The Spin-Off Show's Darker Premise Was A Good Decision

Allen Francis Doyleknown simply as Doylewas introduced in the series premiere, "City of Angels", as a messenger of sorts for the Powers That Be. Doyle is a demon who gets random flashes of visions; this is how Angel gets roped into helping people, primarily, and leads to him starting Angel Investigations, a private investigating firm that "helps the hopeless". With his witty one-liners, endearing crush on Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter), and insider knowledge of the demon world given his true nature as a half-Brachen demon, half-human, Doyle was an excellent addition to the team. However, his tragic departure from the show and real-life circumstances got in the way of his character being brought back.

Doyle only appeared on nine episodes ofAngel. While certainly a short time, it was enough to make and leave a lasting impression on fans of the series and secure his place in the larger universe. Even so, Doyle managed to help Angel out of numerous difficult situations, nurture a budding friendship with Cordelia that bordered on romance, and took the traditional exit for many aBuffycharacter gone too soonthe sudden death heroics. Doyle sacrificed himself for the greater good, which onAngel, became par for the course; throughout the series, redemption and self-sacrifice are two of the most present themes. While still tragic, Doyle's on-screen death wasn't meaningless. There was some closure for his feelings for Cordelia that he'd been harboring since they first met when he kissed her and passed along his visions; she then stepped up to the plate as the liaison between Angel and The Powers That Be.

Despite Glenn Quinn struggling with substance addition off-screen, he was dear to his fellow cast members, so bringing him back in some capacity was discussed behind the scenes. Some deaths on shows likeBuffy the Vampire Slayer,Angel, andSupernaturalare certainly permanent and tragic, but given the magical universe and the blurred lines between life and death, not everyone stays dead. Tim Minearone of the show's writers/directorsspoke about being "shot down" whenever he suggested bringing the character back. Minear and David Furyone of the show's writers/producersboth mentioned how the intent was to possibly bring Doyle back as one of the series' "Big Bads", perhaps in season 3; Fury made this comment inan interview inDreamwatch#118.

Doyle never seemed the type to become a Big Bad, as he was marked by a gentle nature despite his half-demon ways; he was charitable and good, genuinely benevolent and interested in helping others. Beyond that, him returning as a villain would add less weight to his heroic sacrifice. However, any opportunity to bring Doyle back to the show became impossible after Glenn Quinn tragically passed away in 2002 at the age of 32.Angelwould go on to have other notable villains, and fans of the characterand actorgot the closure of Doyle's goodness showing through his choice to go out a hero rather than inevitably dying a villain, if he returned in the proposed capacity.

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Jack Wilhelmi is the horror features editor at Screen Rant, and has been with the site since 2019. He is a lifelong fan of the horror genre, and loves any excuse to discuss genre-related topics, since none of his friends dare challenge him in horror trivia. He has been published on the independent horror blog Morbidly Beautiful, and has covered major genre film festivals such as Cinepocalypse in Chicago. He has also served as a judge for the Ax Wound Film Festival. In his free time, he is a devoted dog dad to a high-spirited rescue pup named Peter Quill and enjoys volunteering with various animal rescue organizations. Jack likes to travel and explore dark tourism-related and other various haunted locations. He enjoys studying psychology, the paranormal, and will watch literally any schlocky B-movie on the planet for a laugh.

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Angel: How Doyle Was Supposed To Return (& Why He Didn't) - Screen Rant

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