In a feat of cross-fandom meta the likes of which is rarely seen on television, the producers of Nathan Fillion‘s post-Firefly gig on ABC, Castle, are looking to cast someone to…play Nathan Fillion. Castle, for non-watchers out there, is a five-seasons-running show about a crime writer assisting the NYPD in solving unusual cases. As an upcoming Season 5 episode summary details, the show is looking to cast for a story about…an actor who rose to fame on a hit sci-fi series playing one Captain Max Richards.

Starting to sound familiar?

Yep, they’re really going there. Happy tenth anniversary everyone! However, unlike Fillion in real life, Castle‘s send-up of his famous role has not dealt with his post-show life as well, having lost his way to liquor once his jaunt in the black was cancelled. The spectre of this evil twin Fillion is a sure sign that, if nothing else, Castle is aware of its audience. Not only are they directly referencing the well-known past gig of one of their stars, the episode itself takes place at a fake science fiction convention for the Firefly parody, which is being called Nebula 9.

One very good reason for the enduring stardom of Nathan Fillion is that he, by all appearances, is a nerd just like the rest of us. From his participation in Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, to the references to Firefly he’s eagerly encouraged into the hit crime drama, Fillion’s always been kind to fans, up for an in-joke, and generally a great sport about the part that made him a household name (depending on your household). Castle has repeatedly made sport of Fillion’s past as Captain Malcolm Reynolds a.k.a. the new Captain Tightpants; Fillion’s character on the show, Rick Castle, has dressed up in Mal’s old costume for a Halloween episode, and looks to the camera whenever someone mentions “serenity”. Who knows what kind of gags could be pulled given a doppelgänger?

No word yet on who’s doubling for Fillion, though it will likely be an unknown. One thing’s for certain; some of us will be mighty interested in tuning in to see what happens.

(via Crushable)

Have a tip we should know? tips@themarysue.com