Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff series: everything we know about the Hulu reboot so far
– A spinoff series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was announced in February, with Hulu ordering the pilot
– Ryan Kiera Armstrong has been cast as the next slayer, and Sarah Michelle Gellar will reprise her role as Buffy Summers. She will also serve as executive producer
– No release date, trailer or plot details have been revealed yet
A Buffy the Vampire Slayer sequel spinoff series is officially in development. After years of toying with the possibility of rebooting one of the best TV series of all time, the series is finally on the way with a pilot ordered by Hulu – one of the , and Netflix’s Anne with an E.
So far, Armstrong and Gellar are the only names attached to the spinoff’s confirmed cast. But while we still wait for more names to surface, Gellar has expressed her desire to bring back characters from Buffy’s past sharing with Vanity Fair Italia “My dream is to bring back everyone who has died, but space will have to be made for new stories as well”.
If Gellar’s dream comes to fruition, there’s an endless slew of characters from Buffy’s past that could be resurrected, but the fandom will certainly have its favorites – Joyce Summers being one of the frontrunners, who died in season five.
Other names that could crop up range from Jenny Calendar, who suffered a heart-shattering death at the hands of Angel in season two, Tara who was shot in front of her lover Willow in season six, and even Anya who died during the final moments of the finale episode. But as exciting as this may sound, it hasn’t been confirmed.
Plot rumors
Similar to its release date, we’re not exactly sure what direction the show will take plot-wise, however the reboot has been described as ‘the next chapter in the Buffyverse’, says Deadline. Additionally, Sarah Michelle Gellar also revealed to Vanity Fair that the reboot “Will be lighter than the last few seasons of the original”, adding “We will try to find a balance between new and old characters”.
Still, it doesn’t reveal a whole lot about which direction the reboot will go plot-wise. Saying that, TV Line shared details on a possible plot outline, which we’re taking with a pinch of salt for now.
According to the outlet the new slayer will lean more into the characteristics of Willow, Buffy’s timid yet intellectual sidekick with a knack for witchcraft rather than the combat, kick-ass Buffy-esque persona. TV Line also said that the new slayer could be named Nova, though it admits that this could very much be a placeholder name until more details are revealed.
Another speculation is around the new slayer’s group of friends, which TV Line says could replicate a similar one to the ‘Scooby gang’ from the original series consisting of Buffy, Xander, Willow, Buffy’s watcher Giles, and other recurring characters depending on the season. TV Line states that the new ‘Scoobies’ will be ‘Hugo, an out-and-proud nerd who comes from money, and Gracie, a young expert on vampires who’s an acolyte of Gellar’s Buffy’.
Alternatively, there’s another direction that the plot could take. Despite the golden rule of there being only one slayer at a time, the Hulu reboot could flip this on its head and explore the possibilities of there being multiple slayers – just as its season seven finale did. But this is simply a personal hypothesis.
Where to watch
Want to catch up on all things Buffy the Vampire Slayer before its spinoff series is released? There are plenty of platforms where you can stream all seven seasons including Hulu (US), and Disney+ and Paramount+ (UK and AU) – though only one season is available to stream on Disney+ in Australia.
