Earlier this year, Hulu announced its plan to produce a Buffy The Vampire Slayer reboot. Fans were thrilled to hear that OG slayer, Sarah Michelle Gellar had signed onto the project as well. Gellar is definitely best known for her iconic TV role as Buffy Summers, the teenage vampire slayer, despite having starred in numerous TV shows and films since. Some people might question why she’s returning to an old character and risking being pigeonholed, but Gellar is setting the record straight on that
While working on the original Buffy series, Gellar also starred in hits such as Cruel Intentions, I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scream 2, solidifying herself as one of the ‘90s cult classic queens. She’s continued to reliably work in the supernatural and slasher genres, appearing in Dexter: Original Sin and Wolf Pack. Still with a brief cameo in the 2025 sequel I Know What You Did Last Summer and a return to Buffy, USA Today asked Gellar whether or not she feels pigeonholed in her career, and she gave an answer I love:
I've been fortunate enough that I've had work that people remember from all different times, and as an actor, you just hope you do work that not just stands the test of time (and) that people still remember, but they still enjoy. If your art that you've created is still meaningful and also as the world changes that it still has emotional resonance to the fans, that's all we could ever ask for.
The Do Revenge actress is right. You can try and reject it, but the reboot renaissance didn’t just happen out of nowhere. It’s driven by nostalgia and projects that remain timeless, resonating with new generations as well as original audiences. Often reboots are announced after years of loyal fanbases calling for them.
For those fans, Gellar is finally ready to return to Buffy, saying she doesn’t feel the character is forced upon her, but rather it’s a choice to return to her roots. She explained:
But I also feel like some people get stuck in that. I don't feel like anyone's ever done that to me. It's not like people only know me from one thing in the '90s or they only wanna see me as one thing from the '90s. I've been extremely fortunate.
I love a grateful celebrity, and I personally agree with Geller that she’s not pigeonholed but rather just well loved for her iconic characters. In her own words, there’s nothing wrong with reviving a beloved project, as long as the reboot has a fresh take, while still "capturing the DNA of the original.”
A perfect example would be the 2025 summer blockbuster I Know What You Did Last Summer, in which ‘90s stars Jennifer Love Hewitt and Gellar’s husband, Freddie Prinze Jr., also returned to their OG roles. While the Buffy actress’ top secret cameo was only two minutes long, she certainly didn’t waste her screentime.
Brought back to life in a dream sequence, Helen Shivers (Gellar) confronts her reboot counterpart Madeline Cline, dressed in her croker queen dress and crown while wielding the OG murder hook. She also flawlessly doesn't look a day over 30). It’s a scene that the movie certainly didn’t need, but one I would have been sorry to miss out on, given that Gellar slays it, as per usual.
I can only Gellar she brings the same energy to the Buffy reboot, but there is no doubt she will. While behind-the-scenes photos seem to confirm our OG vampire-killing queen will wield the stake once again, she won’t be alone. In this reboot, it seems Gellar will take on more of a mentor role, as a new Chosen One will take the spotlight. However, that doesn’t mean the ‘90s Buffy cast will be totally forgotten, as the Cruel Intentions actress says she wants to find a balance between bringing back old characters and introducing new ones.
While I’m sad that some beloved characters like Anya and Cordelia probably won’t be in the reboot due to their deaths in the original series, I can still hold out hope for more dream sequences! What I'm thankful for, though, is that Sarah Michelle Gellar is in the mix, and she's incredibly grateful to be playing the character that made her a cultural icon. Be sure to keep an eye out for this return to Sunnydale, or if you need a more immediate Buffy the Vampire fix, the OG series is available to stream with a Hulu subscription.
