Sarah Michelle Gellar Promises Responsible Easter Egg Usage in Buffy Reboot

Many of us likely never expected the long-rumored Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot to see the light of day — or at least, if it did, not with any of the folks who helped make the show so beloved involved. But, they say that heroes arrive when we need them most, and it’s difficult to imagine a more perfect moment to revisit this particular character and the universe of gutsy young women and found family she inhabits. (Yes, it’s bleak out there, is what I’m saying.) 

Technically titled Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale, the revival/reboot/quasi-sequel series — really not sure how we’re referring to this yet — will feature original Buffy Summers star Sarah Michelle Gellar, but will also purposefully move the franchise into a new era. Gellar’s historical resistance to returning to this particular role is well-documented, but there’s apparently something about the reboot’s story that’s made her a believer.

Speaking to Variety, Gellar admits she “never thought” she’d play Buffy again, but credits director and reboot EP Chloé Zhao with convincing her to take part. 

“Chloe had this idea in a world and the passion with which she spoke both about her idea and the show made me realize that now more than ever we need those heroes to believe in,” Gellar said. “It’s tough times for everybody right now, and I think people feel more isolated and more alone and we live in an incredibly digital society. But ultimately, the more and more technologically connected we get, the more disconnected we’re becoming, and so found family and those true moments become more and more important.”

The reboot will follow the story of a new slayer played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong, with Gellar appearing in a recurring role as Buffy. Whether that means that the former Chosen One will take up the mantle of a Watcher a la Anthony Stewart Head’s Giles in the original series is yet to be determined, but it’s a twist that would both make sense given the show’s history and allow it to bridge the gap between the older version of the show and this follow-up. 

But, according to Gellar, while there will be plenty of elements for longtime BTVS fans to enjoy, New Sunnydale is a story that will provide an accessible entry point for those who’ve never experienced the franchise before. 

“This is a show that will cater definitely to the [original fans],” she said. “There will always be easter eggs because there was easter eggs in the original…but we also want to introduce it to people that maybe haven’t seen the show.”

Specific plot and further casting details are largely still unknown, but one of the biggest lingering questions is how the show will handle the events of the original Buffy series finale, which upended its Chosen One narrative by activating all the young potential slayers at once and doing away with the idea that only one girl in all the world was meant to stand against the darkness. Will Armstrong’s new slayer be one of many that Buffy is presumably mentoring, or has Willow’s spell somehow worn off in the years since the gang faced off against the First Evil? 

Whatever the answer, Gellar seems genuinely excited about the project and has long-vowed it wouldn’t move forward unless she and the rest of the behind-the-scenes team felt they were doing it right, and doing justice to the original’s legacy. The OG Buffy seems to think that’s happening—maybe it’s safe to start believing ourselves?