Buffy the Vampire Slayer is returning to our screens. And it’s bringing some major star power with it! Deadline announced that Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Firestarter, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew) will lead the untitled Buffyverse reboot for Hulu, playing a new, introverted high school student destined to become the Slayer.
Even more exciting? Sarah Michelle Gellar returns, both as an executive producer and once again as Buffy Summers in a supporting role. The pilot is being directed by Chloé Zhao (Oscar winner for Nomadland) from a script by sisters Lilla and Nora Zuckerman (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Poker Face), who are also executive producers.
The pilot is a continuation of the original universe, not a hard reboot, which means familiar faces could absolutely return to Sunnydale. In fact, during the Filming Italy Sardegna Festival, Gellar recently teased who could make a return. “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,” she said, per Vanity Fair. Though maybe she meant everyone who hasn’t died? Either way, we’ll take it.
So, which OG Buffyverse characters might we see again? Here’s who could make the leap.
Anthony Stewart Head as Giles is the Watcher we still need
Few characters have the gravitas and heart that Rupert Giles brought to Buffy. Played with quiet intensity by Anthony Stewart Head, Giles was more than Buffy’s Watcher. He was her compass.
With Gellar returning, it’s not a stretch to imagine Giles offering wisdom to his own Slayer as she tries to mentor another Slayer, or at least consulting on a world-ending apocalypse or two.
Head, most recently seen as Ted Lasso‘s villain Rupert Mannion, still has that magnetic intellect and sass. Fans would undoubtedly embrace him as a grounding force in this next chapter.
And narratively? A Giles cameo would offer a chance to show how the Watchers’ Council has evolved (or crumbled) in the decades since Sunnydale collapsed.
The Buffyverse power trio
The moment David Boreanaz steps out of the shadows as Angel, the collective internet will combust. His brooding antihero energy still resonates, and his vampiric immortality makes it easy to slide him into the timeline.
A one-episode arc? A mysterious warning? We’ll take what we can get. But there are a lot of shippers who are probably dreaming of more than a cameo.
Alyson Hannigan’s Willow also feels ripe for a comeback. As one of TV’s most iconic witches, her presence could be a mentor to Armstrong’s Slayer. Hannigan has kept busy (How I Met Your Mother, Penn & Teller: Fool Us) but has always spoken fondly of Willow’s journey: from nerdy teen to goddess-tier sorceress.
And then there’s Spike. James Marsters’ bad-boy-vampire went from villain to romantic lead to morally grey ally for both Buffy and Angel. His return could stir up conversations around redemption and what it really means to be a monster or a hero.
Don’t forget hilarious wildcards such as Emma Caulfield (Anya) and Tom Lenk (Andrew) with their humor and unpredictability to the new Scooby Gang. They would be an emotional anchor for long-time fans, but also give the Buffy reboot new dynamics to play with.
Or, if we’re talking dead characters as Gellar teased, what about Slayer Kendra? Or, perhaps, the Buffyverse’s cruelest death, Cordelia? We’re still mourning her all these years later. Dare we also say Tara? Pretty please? Or Wesley? His death still feels unfair. If we’re playing in the bringing back characters sandbox, anyone’s fair game!
This revival is already a force to be reckoned with: with Armstrong’s credentials, Zhao’s creative eye, and Gellar’s blessing. But the secret to the success of Buffy has always been its ensemble, and a few timely guest appearances from the OGs could make this revival unforgettable.
NEXT: Our 10 Favorite Episodes Of ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’
