The 2004 Noah Wyle Fantasy Movie That Launched A Franchise Is Streaming For Free

After leaving "ER," Noah Wyle worked on several TV projects, one of which was "The Librarian: Quest for the Spear," a TNT TV movie that not only spawned a series but is now available to stream for free over on Tubi.

Long before he won the Emmy for his outstanding performance as Dr. Michael Robinavitch in "The Pitt," Wyle played Dr. John Carter on NBC's legendary medical drama "ER." Both series have defined the actor's career, with "ER" providing him with his breakout role and 11 seasons of work and "The Pitt" representing somewhat of a comeback for Wyle. That's not to say that he didn't work between the two shows, however — far from it. After leaving "ER," the actor never quite attained the same recognition as he did on that NBC show, but some of his work during that time certainly isn't without its charms. What's more, if you're looking to see a more lighthearted performance from the man who so viscerally depicted the mental breakdown of an emergency doctor in "The Pitt," then 2004's "The Librarian: Quest for the Spear" is perfect.

The 2004 fantasy-adventure debuted a year before Wyle left "ER" and starred the actor as reluctant hero Flynn Carsen. After being hired to work at the Metropolitan Public Library, Carsen finds himself pulled into an epic globe-trotting adventure to track down a priceless artifact stolen from the library by a cult. "The Librarian: Quest for the Spear" is about as cheesy as TV movies come, but it's also quite charming. That goes double for Wyle, who delivers a performance that "The Pitt" fans will surely find to be a refreshing break from his startling naturalistic portrayal of Dr. Robby.

"The Librarian: Quest for the Spear" was penned by "Independence Day" writer-producer Dean Devlin and sees Noah Wyle's Flynn Carson appointed to the Metropolitan Public Library, which secretly houses invaluable treasures. Soon, an item — one of three parts of the Spear of Destiny — is stolen by a cult named the Serpent Brotherhood. Its leader, ex-librarian Wilde (Kyle MacLachlan), is intent upon finding the other two parts in order to assemble the spear and control the destiny of the world. But he didn't reckon with Wyle's unlikely hero, who, much like a certain Dr. Henry Jones Jr., flies by the seat of his pants as he follows the sinister group to retrieve the spear fragment.

The movie debuted on TNT in December 2004 and must have been a decent hit for the cable channel, as Wyle soon found himself fronting an epic made-for-TV fantasy franchise. A sequel, "The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines," followed in 2006, before a threequel, "The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice" arrived in 2008, and Wyle appeared to be having a ball. The actor told Parade in 2008, "[Carson] pretty much encapsulates all the reasons I wanted to be an actor. I grew up watching Harrison Ford take on the bad guys. But I also loved old movies starring Errol Flynn and Douglas Fairbanks swinging their blades. So, it was a childhood fantasy of mine to be a swashbuckling action hero."

Both sequels were clearly popular, seeing as a TV series, "The Librarians," premiered on TNT in December 2014. Wyle produced and appeared in a recurring capacity as Carson, cropping up throughout the show's four-season run. The series focused on the titular group, who for centuries have protected the world from all manner of magical threats.

"The Librarian" wasn't the first TNT project to star Noah Wyle. The actor also got to play tech giant Steve Jobs in 1999's "Pirates of Silicon Valley" and went on to portray militia leader Tom Mason in the sci-fi series "Falling Skies" from 2011 to 2015. But the "Librarian" franchise proved to be his most enduring post-"ER" project. Even after "The Librarians" was canceled, Wyle went on to executive produce "The Librarians: The Next Chapter," a spin-off series based on the original films and show that debuted in 2025. This time, however, Wyle didn't appear, with the series being led by Callum McGowan.

That's understandable, given how busy Wyle is with "The Pitt." Not only is he starring in the show, but the medical drama will put Wyle in a completely different role with season 2, as he'll be both directing and writing episodes while continuing to serve as an executive producer (on top of acting, naturally). Still, his absence from the latest "Librarians" spin-off doesn't appear to have hurt the show, as a second season has already been ordered.

Throughout the post-"ER" years, Wyle was honing his creative talents and preparing himself to become the absolute powerhouse he is on "The Pitt." Not only did he direct episodes of "Fallen Skies," he also wrote scripts for "The Librarians" and partly directed his Prime Video crime dramedy "Leverage: Redemption." As such, he shouldn't have much trouble taking on the increased workload for "The Pitt" season 2, which is set to debut in January 2026. Meanwhile, those looking for something a little less intense in the interim should check out "The Librarian: Quest for the Spear" on Tubi (which is fast becoming one of the best streaming services).