How Dr. Cox’s Diagnosis In ABC’s Scrubs Revival Sets Up Season 2 Addressed By Star John C. McGinley

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Warning! This article contains spoilers for season 1 of the Scrubs reboot!

The results are in: Audiences have been set up to expect a season two of Scrubs.

The new season of Scrubs is coming to an end, and unfortunately, it’s finishing with a difficult storyline. John C. McGinley, who plays the beloved Dr. Cox, has been diagnosed with microscopic polyangiitis, a rare autoimmune disease with no cure that can lead to organ failure. In the show, Cox is already experiencing kidney failure due to the condition, and Zach Braff’s character, J.D., will be his ongoing doctor.

Throughout the series, Cox has consistently been the dominant, assertive mentor to J.D. However, his recent diagnosis unexpectedly shifts the power dynamic, placing J.D. in a position of caregiving. In a conversation with TVLine, McGinley discussed what this means for his character and explained why the writers chose this specific, uncommon illness instead of a more typical one like cancer.

I was so excited to hear that John C. McGinley might be back for a lot more of the Scrubs reboot! He explained they actually wrote an autoimmune disease into the storyline specifically so his character, Dr. Cox, could still be involved, but with a built-in challenge. Apparently, it allows them to have him on screen, even while he’s facing some health issues, giving Zach a chance to be the hero – or try to be! And the best part? His schedule with Rooster won’t clash with the Scrubs filming as much, so he’ll be able to appear more often. It’s awesome to hear they’re making it work!

McGinley, as a viewer of Scrubs, said he really missed seeing Dr. Cox this season. While he understood the show needed to introduce its new main actors, he still felt Cox’s character was noticeably absent.

Besides wanting to see more of certain characters on screen, McGinley also wants to see Braff’s character face more challenges next season. He explained that currently, the risk for supporting characters is that they can fail, but this doesn’t really impact the main character, J.D., or his professional life. The success or failure of the medical students doesn’t directly affect him.

He also suggested that characters like Cox, Bob Kelso (played by Ken Jenkins), and the Janitor (played by Neil Flynn) could be used to create dramatic situations for J.D., putting him in danger or forcing him to face the consequences of his actions. He admitted he was improvising, but felt this would be compelling to watch for viewers.

Despite talk from McGinley about a possible second season of the Scrubs reboot, ABC hasn’t officially renewed the show. If it does return, this season suggests it will be more dramatic than earlier seasons. A major storyline could involve the potential death of Cox, a beloved character, and killing him off after bringing him back would be a bold move for the show’s direction.

Cox’s serious illness and the possibility he might die feel more like something you’d see in medical dramas like Grey’s Anatomy, ER, and House, rather than the lighthearted humor of the original Scrubs.

Fans of the show Scrubs can catch the season 1 finale on ABC on April 15th. If you miss it, you can stream it on Hulu or Disney+ starting April 16th.

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2026-04-12 17:48