Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Firefly franchise. Mal is played by actor Nathan Fillion in the 2002 TV series Firefly and the 2005 film Serenity. In the series, Mal is a former Browncoat sergeant and the captain of the Firefly-class spaceship Serenity. The character was named #18 in TV Guide Greatest Sci-Fi Legends list in 2004.