A familiar face from Baywatch’s original run is heading back to the shoreline. As Fox moves forward with its reimagined lifeguard drama led by Stephen Amell, one of the series’ former standouts has officially signed on to return, bringing a legacy character into the new chapter.
David Chokachi to return as Cody Madison in Baywatch reboot
According to Deadline, David Chokachi will reprise his role as Cody Madison in Fox’s new Baywatch from showrunner Matt Nix. He joins previously announced cast member Stephen Amell, who will portray Hobie Buchannon. Chokachi originally played Cody Madison in seasons six through nine of the series from 1995 to 1999.
The official character details state that Cody operates The Shoreline, the unofficial Baywatch bar and grill. He occasionally returns to lifeguard duty and puts on the red trunks. He mentors the team and supports his fellow lifeguards. Cody also creates a welcoming space for the team and often rewards major rescues with free wings. Fox granted the reboot a 12 episode straight to series order in September. The network began developing the project in winter 2024.
A logline for the new series states, “The wild child Hobie Buchannon we all loved from the original series is now a Baywatch Captain, following in the footsteps of his legendary father, Mitch. Hobie’s world is turned upside down when Charlie, the daughter he never knew, shows up on his doorstep, eager to carry on the Buchannon family legacy and become a Baywatch lifeguard alongside her dad” (via The Hollywood Reporter). Fox will debut the series during the 2026-27 season.
The production team will begin filming this spring on Venice Beach and at the Fox Studio Lot in Century City. NBC premiered the original Baywatch in 1989, and the series went on to air in more than 200 countries, drawing over a billion weekly viewers at its peak, with David Hasselhoff leading the cast. Fox Entertainment and Fremantle are co-producing the reboot, and McG will direct the premiere episode.
