Jimmy Akingbola might have just unlocked the idea Bel-Air fans didn’t know they needed.
Over the weekend, the actor who plays the modern-day Geoffrey on Peacock’s Bel-Air shared a series of photos and videos with Joseph Marcell, the original Geoffrey from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The post wasn’t just a nostalgic reunion; it was a TV pitch disguised as a moment.
“After #BelAir — imagine a world where both Geoffreys exist,” Akingbola wrote on Instagram. “The OG. The modern assassin. Same name. Same standards. Different rules.”
Then came the real question: Would people want a Geoffrey spin-off?
In the videos, the chemistry between the two actors is effortless. Akingbola openly asks Marcell if he’d be open to a Geoffrey-centered series, tossing out ideas set in New York or London. Marcell doesn’t hesitate.
“Oh, I think a Geoffrey spin-off in New York would be fantastic,” he says.
What follows feels less like fan service and more like two generations of storytelling colliding with mutual respect. Akingbola repeatedly acknowledges that everything he brings to his version of Geoffrey is rooted in what Marcell created decades ago.
“Everything I’m playing comes from you,” Akingbola tells him. “What you created. What you put out there.”
Marcell, ever gracious, returns the love. When asked for notes on the modern Geoffrey, he doesn’t hesitate. “Of course, you’re doing very well. Of course, you’re doing excellently,” he says, adding that what he appreciates most is how uncomfortable the character can make people, a trait that defined his original take as well.
What makes the moment resonate isn’t just nostalgia; it’s the realization that Geoffrey has evolved into something bigger than a side character. On Bel-Air, he’s no longer just a butler with biting wit. He’s layered, strategic, dangerous, and deeply loyal.
Pairing that with Marcell’s regal, quietly commanding original version opens the door to something genuinely compelling.
A spin-off wouldn’t just expand the Bel-Air universe; it would reframe Geoffrey as a central figure navigating power, class, loyalty, and legacy across cities and generations.
“A Geoffrey spin-off would be cold, calculated… and absolutely necessary,” Akingbola teased. Necessary might be the right word. Now the ball’s in the audience’s court.
