If witchcraft and vampire slaying is your thing, then get excited: Sarah Michelle Gellar has spoken out about the rumoured Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot – and who she’d like to star in it.
The cult nineties show, which ran from 1997 to 2003, starred Gellar as the titular Buffy as a vampire slayer trying to balance her personal life with defending the world and her town from supernatural creatures.
Such was the show’s success that it also spawned two spin-off TV series as well as a film.
However, Gellar has revealed who she’d like to take over the reins as Slayer in the upcoming reboot.
In a new interview with Evan Ross Katz, who wrote Into Every Generation a Slayer Is Born: How Buffy Staked Our Hearts, the actor confessed that she’d love to see Zendaya as the lead in the new show.
“I vote Zendaya,” Gellar said, before adding that she supported the reboot of the show – something that co-star Julie Benz agreed with, adding: “That would be amazing.”
Gellar has been vocal about her love for Buffy in the years since the show wrapped.
Earlier this month she shared a throwback image of herself on the Buffy set on Instagram, marking 25 years since the first episode aired.
“25 years ago today I had the honor to introduce the world to my version of Buffy Anne Summers,” she wrote.
“It was an uphill battle. A mid season replacement, on a new network based on a movie, that was by no means a giant success. But then there was you. The fans. You believed in us. You made this happen. You are the reason 25 years later we are still celebrating. So today we celebrate you as well.”
Though fans are divided about the prospect of a Buffy reboot, it was officially announced in 2018 - though in the years since, Buffy creator Joss Whedon has been accused of toxic and abusive behaviour on the set of the original show, and it is unsure if the remake will be doing ahead.
Season two of Euphoria, in which Zendaya plays lead character Rue Bennett, came to an end last month after becoming HBO’s second-most watched show since 2004.
In September 2020, she also won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her acting, making her the youngest star to win the award.
Who should star in the Buffy reboot?
We all have our favourite Buffy character, but arguably the biggest stars alongside the titular character are her love interests, Spike and Angel. Who should play them in a remake of the show? Here’s who’s on our wish list...
Angel
The brooding David Boreanaz was the perfect choice to play tortured vampire Angel in the late 90s, when we loved a sensitive man but couldn’t quite shake our love of a beefcake. Watching him struggle with his emotions and battle his villainous side was one of the most compelling parts of the early seasons; now that we’ve evolved a bit to appreciate the nerds, we think current It Boy Timothée Chalamet would be a great fit for the rebooted role - or Love, Simon actor Keiynan Lonsdale.
Spike
Cheeky chappie Spike was a perfect foil to both Buffy and Angel. Irreverent and mischievous, as well as morally dubious, he won over Buffy and eventually sacrificed himself to protect the world from the First Evil before becoming a hero in his own right. Sadly Ryan Reynolds is a little too cute (and possibly a tad too old) for the role, but we think the British actors Dan Stevens or Sam Palladio would work perfectly.
