'Stargate SG1' lead could kick off new series

Chin up, fans: Jack will be back.

Richard Dean Anderson, who played Gen. Jack O'Neill on "Stargate SG-1," is confirmed as shooting a guest-starring role on the new series "Stargate Universe," according to fan site GateWorld.

"Rick is doing episodes of Universe," series co-creator Brad Wright told the site. "He was just here yesterday shooting an episode of Universe with us. So that relationship is always on-going, and it's good to have him back."

GateWorld theorizes O'Neill will appear in the premiere and fifth episodes of the new series. That's a trickier feat than it sounds, because the series follows a giant starship that is flung through a stargate and cannot return to Earth. Robert Carlyle, Lou Diamond Phillips and Ming-Na are among the stars.

There's a history for Anderson to guest: He and co-star Michael Shanks guested on the first episode of "Stargate Atlantis." Anderson also recently co-starred in a series of movies based on the long-running shows.