7 ‘Justified’ Characters Who Need to Return for the ‘City Primeval’ Revival

Walton Goggins Natalie Zea Joelle Carter
Michael Becker/FX/Courtesy Everett Collection, Prashant Gupta/FX/Courtesy Everett Collection

We see them long hard times to come, as the Justified theme song goes. Now that the 2010s-era FX drama is the latest TV show to get a revival, we’re already dreaming up storylines for the upcoming Justified: City Primeval.

Based on the stories of crime-fiction novelist Elmore Leonard, Justified starred Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens, a U.S. marshal with a quick temper and an even quicker trigger finger. After an incident in Miami, Raylan is sent back to his hometown of Harlan County, Kentucky, where he makes a few friends and significantly more enemies.

Now, more than six years after Justified finished its six-season run, FX has ordered a new limited series based on Leonard’s City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit, with Raylan on the trail of a violent sociopath in the Motor City.

While FX has revealed several of the spinoff’s castmembers including the returning Timothy Olyphant, Vivian Olyphant, Adelaide Clemens, Boyd Holbrook, and Vondie Curtis-Hall, the network hasn’t shared which former costars will reunite with leading man Olyphant. As Golden Derby teased, this new season will address what’s happened to some fan-favorite characters. Who those characters are remains mystery, but we have a few on our wishlist, below.

Natalie Zea as Winona Hawkins in Justified
Prashant Gupta/FX/Courtesy Everett Collection

Winona Hawkins (Natalie Zea)

Raylan’s ex-wife and on-and-off flame left the wilds of Kentucky for the relative safety of Florida, where she’s raising their daughter, Willa, in Miami. With City Primeval catching up with Raylan in Miami, Winona is perfectly positioned for a reprise appearance.

“Raylan, you do a good job of hiding it, and I s’pose most folks don’t see it, but honestly, you’re the angriest man I have ever known.”

Justified - Walton Goggins as Boyd Crowder
Michael Becker/FX/Courtesy Everett Collection

Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins)

Goggins was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for his performance as this old coal-mining friend of Raylan’s, who grew up to become a white supremacist. Despite his prison stints and attempts at redemption, Boyd always returned to his criminal ways. We last saw him behind bars, but he’s still alive and primed for a comeback.

“You’re talkin’ to a man who’s sleeping with his dead brother’s widow and murderess, so if you’re lookin’ for someone to cast stones at you in this matter, I think you’ve picked the wrong sinner.”

Justified - Joelle Carter as Ava Crowder
Prashant Gupta/FX/Courtesy Everett Collection

Ava Crowder (Joelle Carter)

Ava’s relationship with Boyd almost cost her her life, and her dalliances with Raylan put her in the crosshairs as well. But this widow fought back, killing her abusive husband and other people who threatened her or the people she cared about. She forged a new life in California, but we’d put good money on her returning in City Primeval.

“If I start counting down from 10, I may lose my patience at five.”

Justified Jacob Pitts Tim Gutterson
Prashant Gupta/FX/Courtesy Everett Collection

Tim Gutterson (Jacob Pitts)

This former U.S. Army Ranger was perhaps the only one in Harlan County who could outgun Raylan. Luckily, as a deputy U.S. marshal, he fought on the side of good. But his boss once said that he suffers from PTSD—and possibly alcoholism—and that he’s a “keg waiting to explode.”

“At least you got to shoot your father. Mine had the nerve to die before I got back from Basic with skills and a loaded weapon.”

Kaitlyn Dever as Loretta McCready in Justified
Prashant Gupta/FX/Courtesy Everett Collection

Loretta McCready (Kaitlyn Dever)

This orphaned teen found a home with the Bennett family in Season 2, not realizing that one of the members of that crime family had killed her father. After she found a more stable home with a foster family, she became something of a daughter figure for Raylan. And when we last saw her, she was stepping on a man’s wrist to stop him from winning a shootout against Raylan.

“Marshal, do I strike you in any way as a Van Halen fan?”

Justified - Jere Burns as Wynn Duffy
Prashant Gupta/FX/Courtesy Everett Collection

Wynn Duffy (Jere Burns)

There was no reason to feel secure around this home-security businessman: He was also a vicious loan shark working for Dixie Mafia, and legend has it he once cut off the face of a debtor’s brother. By the time of the series finale’s epilogue, Wynn was off the grid, so he could easily resurface in City Primeval.

“The police are just a janitorial service used to clean up your blood after you’ve been murdered.”

Justified - Patton Oswalt as Bob Sweeney
Prashant Gupta/FX/Courtesy Everett Collection

Bob Sweeney (Patton Oswalt)

One of Raylan’s high-school buddies grew up to be constable in Harlan, and he proved to be a useful ally for the U.S. marshal in Seasons 4 and 5. In fact, he and Raylan took turns saving each other’s life, and Bob wasn’t afraid to sacrifice his physical safety for the greater good.

“People underestimate Bob at their own peril.”