The Reboot of 'Scrubs' Is a Go, but Will Curmudgeonly Dr. Cox Be Back?

After more than a decade off the air, news has broken that Scrubs is coming back with much of its original cast. The medical comedy originally ran on ABC and NBC in the 2000s, and is coming back to ABC. Following the news that the show would be coming back, many wanted to know whether Dr. Perry Cox, who played the mentor to Zach Braff's J.D. on the original show, would be coming back.

Dr. Cox was a key part of the original show, a cynical doctor who nonetheless cared deeply about his patients. Here's what we know about whether he'll be back for the new show.

We don't yet know whether John C. McGinley's Dr. Cox will be part of the reboot, although it seems possible that he could be back. According to reporting, Donald Faison, Zach Braff, and Sarah Chalke are the only members of the original cast who are guaranteed to return for the new season, which will air on ABC during the 2025-2026 TV season. Creator Bill Lawrence is also returning to the show.

John C. McGinley, Neil Flynn (the janitor), Ken Jenkins (chief of medicine Bob Kelso), and Judy Reyes (nurse Carla) rounded out the show's principal cast, and would all be major absences if they weren't around for the new season. As of yet, though, none of them are confirmed to return.

Those actors all took part in an ATX panel in 2022 in which the general mood seemed to suggest that they were open to returning to the show.

"Medicine has changed, interns have changed, but their bromance has stood the test of time. Characters new and old navigate the waters of Sacred Heart with laughter, heart, and some surprises along the way," the brief logline for the news season explains.

This is not the first time that Scrubs has attempted to split the difference between an old cast and a new one. The show's famous ninth season did something similar and was not received warmly by fans.

Although we know that the creative team and members of the cast are returning, there are still plenty of unanswered questions about this relaunch of Scrubs. Dr. Cox was a crucial part of the original cast, the cynical, worn-down elderly doctor who existed in part to remind the younger doctors of how difficult this job can be.

Even more important is Carla, who is the romantic partner of Donald Faison's Turk, and would be a notable absence from the new show.

At this point, though, it's still possible that those cast members will be returning, and their deals just aren't finalized yet. For now, we might have to brace for a Scrubs that mixes the old with the new, and hopefully comes up with slightly better results than the original series did during its last season.