Speculation About Michael J. Fox

Where would Michael J. Fox have gone in his career if he hadn’t become ill?  What if the career trajectory that the actor began in the 1980s had never been interrupted?  Would he have returned to feature films after Spin City ended its run?  Calm_Freak101 wrote on Reddit, "I think he would have continued on television like Ted Danson.  As long as he was available, a tv network would always have had a show waiting for him to star in."  But, unlike Danson, Fox had a successful track record in film.  The studios might have supported the actor making a big screen comeback.  For the purpose of this article, let's imagine Fox returning to films and figure out what this return would have looked like.  

I will focus on the period of 2002 to 2012.  Fox would have been in his forties during this period.  What type of roles could he have played?  Fox was known for his comic timing, boy-next-door charm, and his ability to play both the everyman and the ambitious young professional.  He often played likable, relatable characters in extraordinary situations.  That sounds a bit to me like Jason Bateman, who had a successful film career during this period.  Bateman sometimes played lead roles and sometimes played supporting roles.  Fox could have done the same.  He could have appeared in Up In The Air (2009) in either George Clooney's lead role or Bateman's supporting role.

Fox had proven that was capable of playing romantic leads. 

I could see Fox moving into comic dad roles.

He might have competed with Steve Carrell for roles.

It would have been interesting to see him in the Jeff Daniels role in The Squid and the Whale (2005).

I could imagine Fox in a wide variety of roles.

Fox did continue to do exceptional work during his semi-retirement. My speculation today is not meant to diminish that work.  Fox’s real-world career in the last twenty-five years has been defined by incredible resilience and Emmy-winning guest turns.