The science fiction comedy film “Galaxy Quest” follows the exploits of a group of actors from a science fiction series who find themselves among actual aliens.

As the fandom surrounding the film has grown, questions about a sequel have surfaced. What many may not know is that the story of “Galaxy Quest” continued in comic book form.

A sequel to “Galaxy Quest,” however, could not be made today, whether it was an adaptation of these comics or an original script, because someone would be missing: Alan Rickman.

Rickman played actor Sir Alexander Dane who played Dr. Lazarus, an alien and the ship’s science officer in the series within the film. Sadly, Rickman died in 2016.

Any sequel would feel incomplete without him, and no other actor could replace Rickman’s stellar performance and chemistry with the cast and characters.

Leaving Lazarus out of the story altogether would also impact the cast's chemistry and raise questions about the character's fate between films.

The film’s director Dean Parisot said that Rickman’s absence was the biggest obstacle to making a sequel and that Amazon Studios had been close to a deal before Rickman’s passing.