Sarah Michelle Gellar wants to bring back everyone who has died for ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ reboot

As the upcoming Buffy the Vampire Slayer revival slowly comes together, Sarah Michelle Gellar is opening up about what she’d like to see for the future of Sunnydale.

During a recent interview with Vanity Fair Italia, Gellar revealed some details about the sequel series now in development at Hulu from 20th Television and Searchlight TV which, per Variety, will tell “the next chapter in the Buffyverse” by focusing on a new Slayer.

“It will be lighter than the last few seasons of the original,” Gellar told Vanity Fair. “We will try to find a balance between new and old characters. My dream is to bring back everyone who has died, but space will have to be made for new stories as well.”

The former teen idol signed on to reprise her role as the beloved titular character and executive produce the series, written and executive produced by Nora Zuckerman and Lilla Zuckerman (Poker Face, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Suits), and directed and executive produced by Oscar winner Chloé Zhao (Nomadland, Eternals). 

While the series had a lighthearted start for its seven-season run (first on the WB, and then the final two seasons aired on UPN), it gradually became darker throughout its run, delving into intense themes of depression, addiction, and toxic relationships. The deaths of various fan-favorite characters added to the moments of psychological and emotional darkness that included Buffy’s depression after her revival, Spike’s descent into obsession, the death of Tara, and Willow’s addiction.

Gellar seems to want to recapture the more balanced atmosphere of Buffy’s earlier seasons, which juggled high school drama and monster-of-the-week stories before it began exploring more complex character dynamics and themes.

However, the Dexter: Original Sin star emphasized that she still wants to make sure the reboot includes modern themes, issues, and storylines.

“One of the surprising aspects of Buffy is that it’s always been a crossover series,” Gellar explained. “We’re trying to figure out how to modernize the themes of the series, especially what it means to feel like an outsider in a world dominated by social media. What we want to explore are the space-time boundaries that affect society today.”

While it’s a mystery as to which characters Gellar would want to bring back from the dead, we are preemptively requesting the reboot does not reintroduce the tumultuous relationship of Buffy and Spike (James Marsters). That’s one romance we’re okay leaving in the grave.

The Buffy reboot will star Ryan Kiera Armstrong — best known for roles in the film Firestarter and Star Wars series Skeleton Crew — as a new slayer, alongside Gellar’s original slayer. Additional details about the 15-year-old’s role are still under wraps.

Gellar welcomed Armstrong to the new series in an Instagram post on May 15.

“From the moment I saw Ryan’s audition, I knew there was only one girl that I wanted by my side,” she wrote. “To have that kind of emotional intelligence, and talent, at such a young age is truly a gift. The bonus is that her smile lights up even the darkest room.”

Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s disgraced original creator Joss Whedon has no involvement in the new revival. In 2021, Whedon was accused of creating “hostile and toxic work environments” on Buffy and its spinoff Angel by multiple stars, including Charisma Carpenter and other people associated with the shows.

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Gellar previously told Entertainment Weekly that her involvement with Dexter prequel series changed her formerly negative stance about returning to the Buffyverse.

“It’s definitely changed my perspective on it,” Gellar said. “I’ve had long talks with Michael C. Hall too about it. Because I think there was always this idea of you can’t go home again, and you can’t recreate magic. And then you realize that sometimes there are more stories to tell and there are other ways. So it definitely changed my ‘never say never’ attitude.”

Gellar added that she had come to “realize that the story’s there” and it’s possible to revisit a beloved property.

“There’s a reason why fans love a show,” she said. “And I think it’s interesting for me to be on the other side of it, because as a Dexter fan, I am experiencing when the fans want to see more. I have a different understanding, I think.”