The new series will follow Deborah Wayne, the youngest daughter of Hillman alumni Whitley Gilbert and Dwayne Wayne.

*A Different World *original cast members returning to reprise roles for Netflix sequel series

The new series will follow Deborah Wayne, the youngest daughter of Hillman alumni Whitley Gilbert and Dwayne Wayne.

By Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on *Entertainment Tonight* and Popsugar.

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December 17, 2025 3:42 p.m. ET

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Glynn Turman, Dawnn Lewis, Lou Myers, Charnele Brown, Kadeem Hardison, Jasmine Guy, Darryl M. Bell, and Cree Summer on 'A Different World'. Credit:

NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

Hillman College's finest are heading back to the quad!

Four original cast members from *A Different World*, the iconic '90s sitcom that began as a *Cosby Show* spinoff series in 1987, will reportedly reprise their roles for the recently greenlit sequel series heading to Netflix, per Deadline.

Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison, Cree Summer, and Darryl M. Bell will bring back Whitley Gilbert, Dwayne Wayne, Freddie Brooks, and Ron Johnson, respectively, on a recurring basis throughout the 10 half-hour episodes from showrunner and executive producer Felicia Pride.

"*A Different World* is back!!! YAY!! We are over the moon to bring this much-anticipated sequel with our returning legacy stars," Pride and executive producer Debbie Allen, who served as producer for 122 episodes and directed 83 of the original series, said in a joint statement. "These beloved characters are returning in a major way that respects their history while engaging exciting storylines that are relevant to issues of today.

Jasmine Guy and Kadeem Hardison for 'A Different World'.

NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

They continued, "Throughout the season, fans will have a chance to reunite with these O.G. characters and see how their lives have evolved into *A Different World.* And as the story unfolds, there will be more cast surprises in store for longtime fans."

Pride and Allen concluded, "We can't wait for lovers of the show to experience this new chapter as a real continuation of the legacy show, and we're excited to welcome new audiences to Hillman."

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It's fitting that Guy and Hardison will reprise their roles considering that the new series will follow the adventures of Deborah Wayne, the fictional couple's youngest daughter.

Tony winner Maleah Joi Moon (*Hell's Kitchen*) will star as Deborah, the free-spirited, well-intentioned yet rebellious youngest child of Dwayne and Whitley as she enters her freshman year at her parents' HBCU alma mater and grapples to escape their shadow. Deborah sets out to build her own legacy while having the time of her life alongside a whole new generation of Hillman's best and brightest.

Starring alongside Moon are Alijah Kai (*Everybody Hates Chris*) as Rashida, Chibuikem Uche (*One of Us Is Lying*) as Kojo, Cornell Young IV (*Doing Life*) as Shaquille, Jordan Aaron Hall (*The Idea of You*) as Amir, and newcomer Kennedi Reece as Hazel.

The cast for the upcoming 'A Different World' sequel series.

The stars aren't the only ones making a return for the sequel series — Reggie Rock Bythewood (*Get on the Bus, Swagger*) and Gina Prince-Bythewood (*The Woman King, Love & Basketball*), who wrote on the original series, are also returning as executive producers alongside Mandy Summers (*That '90s Show, The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh*) and Tom Werner (*The Conners, Rosanne, A Different World*).

The original series ran for six seasons on NBC from 1987 to 1993, and grew into an unprecedented TV depiction of life and culture on HBCU campuses. After a freshman season led by Lisa Bonet to follow the second eldest Huxtable child from the *Cosby Show*, the series was retooled when Bonet departed after she became pregnant with daughter Zoë Kravitz (the now-disgraced series creator, Bill Cosby reportedly objected to the idea of a pregnant Denise).

Where is the cast of 'A Different World' now? See the stars of the ‘Cosby Show’ spinoff over 30 years later

'A Different World' cast reunites to sing theme song at the White House

From its second season on, the show focused on an ensemble with Whitley and Dwayne at the center. Along with the aforementioned cast members, the OG series starred Charnele Brown as Kimberly Reese; Dawnn Lewis as Jaleesa Vinson-Taylor; Glynn Turman as Col. Bradford Taylor; and Sinbad as Walter Oakes.

Other notable cast members included Marisa Tomei (as Maggie, one of the university's few white students), who also left the series after one season, and Jada Pinkett Smith.

All six seasons of *A Different World* are available to stream on Netflix.**

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