Tamal Kundu
Portrayed by Diane Kruger, Dr. Abigail Chase is one of the most important characters in ‘National Treasure’ (2004) and its sequel, ‘National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets’ (2007). She is an archivist at the National Archives and first encounters Benjamin Franklin “Ben” Gates (Nicolas Cage) when the latter and Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) come to her office to inform her that Ian Howe (Sean Bean) intends to steal the Declaration of Independence. She subsequently joins Ben and Riley and plays a pivotal role in the discovery of the Templar Treasure.
Although Abigail and Ben begin a romantic relationship by the end of the first film, they seem to have fallen apart at the start of the sequel. However, they still join forces against Mitchell Wilkinson (Ed Harris). They also find the Lost City of Gold or Cíbola in Mount Rushmore. The film ends as Abigail and Ben reconcile. If you are wondering whether Abigail appears in ‘National Treasure: Edge of History,’ the Disney+ series set in the same universe as the two films, here is what you need to know.
Does Abigail Chase Appear in National Treasure: Edge of History?
No, Abigail Chase doesn’t appear in ‘National Treasure: Edge of History.’ The Disney+ series was created by Cormac and Marianne Wibberley, who wrote the screenplays for the two films (they share the screenwriting credits for the first with Jim Kouf).
Despite the commercial success of those films, the third entry in the franchise has been caught in development limbo for years. So, the show gives the fans of the films an opportunity to return to that universe.
Kruger’s co-stars, Bartha and Harvey Keitel (portrays Peter Sadusky), reprise their respective roles from the films in the show. While Kruger isn’t part of the show this season, The Wibberleys hope that she and Cage can join the cast in the prospective season 2.
“… Diane was going on spring break with her kid,” Marianne Wibberley told CBR. “She was interested, so we are holding on to hope if we get a Season 2, we will get her. Jon’s name came up, too. We love him. That didn’t work out. For Nic, we tried to make a whole episode for him. He wasn’t available, or he was busy. To do a whole episode, so that’s 10 days. It’s asking a lot. We continue to think about it. If we ever get a Season 2, we’d want to sprinkle in as many as can.”
As for their reasons to make a ‘National Treasure’ show now, Cormac Wibberley told the same outlet, “We keep getting asked this question of, ‘Why now?’ Marianne and I are usually baffled because we always had an idea and wanted to do a TV series. We asked the Bruckheimer people about it, and they weren’t ready for it. Then, one day, Disney+ happened, and the streaming happened, and I guess it made the most sense. That was a platform where they could put the TV show. That is why now. They came to us, and we were like, ‘Great.’ In this universe, we always wanted to explore outside of the Ben Gates character and the Gates family, which probably came over on the Mayflower. Marianne and I decided, ‘Well, we would like to start on someone who just arrived here or doesn’t know their American history or where they came from very well.’”
Read More: National Treasure: Edge of History Episodes 1 and 2 Recap and Ending, Explained
