Fans no longer need to beg and plead for the movie that was promised early in the Community series. It has been confirmed in more than one way that it’s coming. From the list of returning cast members, Yvette Nicole Brown seems to be missing, but does that mean she won’t be in the movie?
Brown played the part of Shirley Bennett who came to Greendale Community College after having kids and a failed marriage. She was one of those students who had experiences beyond the young study group members like Troy, Abed, and Annie who came right after high school. She was the surrogate mother of the group, and she held them together throughout their drama.
Strangely, she came up missing in season six to the shock of all her fans. With the upcoming movie that has been teased and finally promised, will she be back? This is what adoring fans want to know. Why is she missing from the list of cast members set to return?
What happened to Shirley?
If there is one thing about Shirley, she accomplished what she set out to do. She came to Greendale to learn how to turn her love for baking into a business. She hit that goal on the campus of Greendale itself when she partnered with Pierce and opened a sandwich shop.
By season six, her business had boomed and then took a dive. It was the same with her marriage when her husband left her and took the kids. She had come back to Greendale to learn more about business and give the sandwich shop another try, which seemed to be working out for her this time.
When her father took ill, she was forced to move to Atlanta, Georgia, to take care of him. That’s how it was written for season six of the show, and there’s something surreal about that.
What really happened?
In her real life, Brown’s father did take ill. She was the only one who could care for him, so she left the show on good terms. Everyone wished her well, but she had to make a tough decision, and she put family first just like Shirley would.
Since departing from Community, she has racked up over 80 acting credits, according to IMDB. Her long list of projects includes playing Dani in The Odd Couple, Dina Rose in The Mayor, Amanda Waller in DC Super Hero Girls, and Luna in Elena of Avalor (say that five times fast).
That merely scratches the surface. Currently, she’s mentioned in Disenchanted, My Dad the Bounty Hunter, and Blind Psychosis that will soon be released. As far as Community is concerned, there’s no mention of her return for the movie yet. She’s well aware that Dan Harmon is working on it, and Joel McHale has gotten fully behind the project. She made that clear when she tweeted her congratulations.
Of the “…And a Movie” tweet has been the running joke of Community. “Six seasons and a movie” came from a line Abed said early in the series. The fact is that the teasing might be over, and the movie has been promised, but nothing is in writing yet. The internet explosion of this news is barely days old. Donald Glover isn’t listed as one of the characters who will return. His situation is more problematic since the last anyone heard of him, he was taken hostage by pirates. Since Pierce is dead, it’s doubtful Chevy Chase will have any part, either.
By the time the ink dries, fans will know if Shirley Bennett will be in the movie. For everyone’s sake, just have hope. What would the movie be without her?