Nathan Fillion's Mal Reynolds costume from Serenity on display...

Back in 2005 I remember going to see Serenity on the big screen and being blown away by the cool characters and sci-fi concepts, so much so that I rushed out and bought the box set of Joss Whedon's short-lived Firefly TV series that the movie was a continuation of.

Original movie costume worn by Nathan Fillion 

as Captain Malcolm Reynolds in Serenity

I loved the whole Chinese Western feel of this far future universe and Joss Whedon's trademark characterization and plot twists. It was space, but it felt fresh, new and wonderfully realised all over again. It's no wonder Marvel's The Avengers was so epic in scale with this writer and director at the helm, and I bet those execs at Warner Bros. Studios who turned down his Wonder Woman script are now kicking themselves. Anyway, I digress.

Since I enjoyed the movie and 2002 TV series so much, you can imagine my delight at seeing the costume worn by Nathan Fillion as 'Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds' in the film (and quite possibly the series?) on display at Universal Studios Hollywood on January 23, 2014.

Serenity movie poster

Even though Ruth Carter is referenced as Costume Designer on the movie in this NBC Universal Experience exhibit, the look of Firefly's Captain was a collaboration between series Costume Designer Shawna Trpcic and leather artist, Jonathan A. Logan.

Mal's iconic deerskin 'Browncoat' is from his Independents army days and his folded back sleeve cuffs are influenced by Oriental style robes with their silk linings. If you're a fan, you can actually by replicas of the coat at Jonathan A. Logan's website.

Captain Mal Reynolds costume details

Apparently craftsman Brennan Byers at GBB Custom Gunleather was responsible for creating Mal's gun holster out of oak-tanned carving leather.

In addition to the fantastic costume, there was also this 'Blue Sun' bottle prop on display. The Blue Sun Corporation is a mega-corporation of the future and one of the richest, most powerful and corrupt businesses in existence, whose products include food and drink packaged goods used by settlers on newly terraformed worlds.

Blue Sun bottle prop from Serenity

If you're a fan of the film, be sure to check out the crew of the Firefly's Mule transport featured in Serenity too from a previous visit on Universal Studios Hollywood infamous backlot tour.