Some couples never really break up in the hearts of fans, especially when they are actors.
With a new film bringing two familiar faces back into the same frame, longtime viewers suddenly feel like teenagers again, glued to their screens and rooting for a storyline that once felt bigger than television.
“Dawson Creek’s” star Katie Holmes has been pretty mum about her dating life over the years. But recent outings with another actor have fans thinking she’s got a new man in her life.
The excitement reached full volume after Holmes, who once dated Jamie Foxx, reunited with fellow actor Joshua Jackson.
The “Fringe” actor is just months out of his divorce from actress Jodie-Turner Smith. The former couple is still in negotiations with a judge about visitation and custody of their daughter.
With that chapter closed, fans hope Jackson and his “Dawson’s Creek” co-star will give it a shot. Katie Holmes posted a polished Instagram photo with her arms wrapped around Jackson to promote Happy Hours, set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in June. But her followers took it a completely different way.
Fans quickly flooded the comments section with emotion that sounded less like casual support and more like unfinished business.
“Joey and Pacey forever,” one person wrote, summing up the loyalty that still defines their audience.
Another chimed in, “Wish this was a hard launch,” turning a simple movie post into a conversation about romance.
Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson are giving us the ending to Dawson’s Creek we deserve and always wanted 🥹
(It’s for a movie trilogy called Happy Hours, directed by Katie Holmes.) pic.twitter.com/ZPOgu23pXO
— sagesurge (@sagesurge) July 26, 2025
What pushed the moment from sweet to slightly suspicious was Holmes double-tapping a fan comment, hoping this was “a hard launch” — and co-signing another that flat-out said they “should be a couple.” “What a gorgeous photo, damn!” said one person.
“The Nostalgia. And there you go with that look again,” another commenter observed, noticing the familiar chemistry in the photo.
Another added, “Please get married in real life and heal our millennial hearts,” capturing the emotional investment that has lingered for more than two decades.
they always did have on screen chemistry – this should be good. pic.twitter.com/9YzdxFCG1J
— LisaLisa🌟 (@LisaLisa) July 21, 2025
Their attachment to this duo is not accidental. According to Page Six, Holmes and Jackson didn’t just play love interests on “Dawson’s Creek” from 1998 to 2003.
They dated off-screen from 1998 to 1999, blurring fiction and reality as teen TV shaped pop culture.
Their characters, Joey Potter and Pacey Witter, became symbols of messy, sincere young love. Their reunion now feels like a full-circle moment.
Fans didn’t hold back. One said it was the marriage that should’ve happened. Another joked it was always Pacey and they look even better now.
“This is the marriage that should have happened in real life,” one fan declared. Another joked, “Girl it was always Pacey. grown up adulting, you look even better together JK.”
Of course, real life has moved forward for both actors in complicated ways.
Jackson married actress Jodie Turner-Smith in 2019, and the two welcomed their daughter before separating in 2023. Their split drew attention as they worked through the realities of co-parenting and adjusting to new routines.
He was also linked publicly to another high-profile relationship with “Black Panther” actress Lupita Nyong’o. They dated for one year before splitting.
Holmes’ own romantic history has unfolded under equally bright lights. She married Tom Cruise from 2006 to 2012, placing her at the center of global headlines. They share a daughter who has largely grown up outside the spotlight.
From 2023- 2019, she dated “Ray” actor Jamie Foxx on and off again, appearing at award shows together.
In 2025, Holmes stirred drama with a quick Instagram “like” and “unlike” on posts about Cruise’s romance with Ana de Armas.
Still, the renewed attention around Holmes and Jackson leans more on sentiment than scandal.
Their new project follows former lovers reconnecting years later, echoing the story that never left fans since the late ’90s. The fascination goes beyond a reunion. It speaks to a love story that once felt untouchable, like getting a second chance in real life.
