In the 23 years since Buffy the Vampire Slayer aired its series finale, fans have eagerly hoped to see the series properly brought back for another run of stories. Numerous ideas have been toyed with, like a Ripper spin-off following Giles that never came to fruition. Spike’s popularity led to his character being eyed for a possible series lead, as well as an idea based around Faith, which would have seen her traveling and lending her skills to those with paranormal problems, like Supernatural would become just a few years after Buffy ended. Even with pitches for animated shows tossed aside in the early 2000s and a full reboot scrapped in 2018, there were avenues left to explore.
Buffy: New Sunnydale was finally the answer fans got, with Hulu giving the thumbs up to a pilot for a revival series. The show was set to focus on a new, younger slayer played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Star Wars: Skeleton Crew), with Sarah Michelle Gellar playing a smaller role as a mentor figure, much like Giles was for her. The revival series would be a legacy sequel, set years after the finale, with a newly erected Sunnydale on the remains of the decimated one last seen in Buffy’s finale. The series showed plenty of promise, as even Academy Award-winning director Chloé Zhao was directing the pilot. Sadly, it wasn’t meant to be, as Hulu canceled the show before it had a chance to move beyond the pilot stage. Thankfully, the perfect replacement is on the way, and it will fix one of the Buffy revival’s biggest flaws.
The ‘Buffy’ Revival May Have Been Flawed From the Start
The framework and creative team behind Buffy: New Sunnydale seemed solid, as Zhao’s talent is widely known. Plus, the writing team, sisters Nora and Lilla Zuckerman, followed the show’s cancellation by getting hired to write Scream 8, showing their talent is still appreciated. Fans even expected that Gellar would have the show’s best interests at heart, as she was an executive producer alongside a few others who returned from the original series, Gail Berman, Fran Rubel Kuzui, and Kaz Kuzui. Some perceived issues trickled out that may have painted Zhao as a bad fit, but Gellar noted an executive who never liked the show from the start. Still, beyond the problems the pilot may have encountered, it wasn’t the continuation fans had hoped for.
Buffy: New Sunnydale lacked many of the creative minds that gave the original show its personality, which fans fell in love with. While Whedon’s history coming to light in recent years is reason enough not to bring him back, there are other talented people from the original series who could’ve helped make it what it was, like Marti Noxon, Jane Espenson, or David Fury. However, even if the show wasn’t padding its stats behind the scenes, the opportunity was always there to bring back other characters beyond Buffy.
Spike actor James Marsters had stated interest in returning, and characters like Willow or Angel could have played a role. Yet, despite being a sequel series, there weren’t really plans to include characters like Angel, with actor David Boreanaz uninterested in returning. While the show had promise in concept, it was weaker than it should have been by simply ignoring too much of the past. Luckily, the perfect replacement to ease the blow of Buffy: New Sunnydale’s cancellation is coming this summer, and it includes what fans wanted.
A New ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ & ‘Angel’ Story Is on the Horizon
Coming this July, a brand-new Buffy the Vampire Slayer series debuts in comic book form, from the Eisner Award-nominated creative duo Kelly Thompson (Absolute Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey) and Stephen Byrne (Serenity, Green Arrow). There have been Buffy comics in the past, including continuations of the original series with Seasons 8–12. Still, the new series is doing something bold by weaving its story into a point in the show’s established history, and it’s touted as an “event story” that brings the characters from Buffy and Angel together to face a new villain. Bleeding Cool says that the comic series will feature a “massive twist that will shake the faithful fandom to the core,” noting:
“It just wouldn’t be Sunnydale without some big bad trying to destroy the world in the midst of a personal crisis. Picking up at a pivotal point in the character’s chronology, this is a must-read for any die-hard fan of the show, but also a cool moment to join the fandom for the first time with an epic event that brings all the characters together for one big story that points to the heart of everything Buffy the Vampire Slayer has always been about. The series includes the comics debut of a beloved Buffy character, and a massive twist that will shake the faithful fandom to the core. This is a vision of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that has to be read to be believed!”
Thompson and Byrne also appear to be genuine fans who are getting the chance to expand on characters they love. Unlike the Hulu revival, the new comics will include all the characters the show couldn’t, with Thompson noting that the idea involving Buffy and Angel “has been sitting with me for a long time.” Thompson said:
“The show was wildly inspirational for a young Kelly, and like so many things that feel very lucky in my life, I’m not sure I’m a writer today without encountering Buffy at the right moment. This idea for Buffy has been sitting with me for a long time – and so when the chance to grab both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel came along, I couldn’t resist trying it. I hope you guys will enjoy the ride — it comes from a place of deep love for the franchise – and I’ll try my best to be worthy of it.”
Thompson and Byrne aren’t looking to overhaul the characters in the future, as the revival was forced to, focusing instead on highlighting the factors that drew them to the show in the first place. Byrne even states, “I’ve been a lifelong Buffyverse obsessive, and I’ve got the VHS boxsets and DVDs to prove it.” The upcoming Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic series should feel like another episode of the original show, with some interesting new twists set to shake things up for fans who love the character as much as those crushed by the revival’s cancellation. While Buffy’s future on TV is still up in the air, fans have the perfect storyline, with every beloved character just on the horizon.
Bringing Buffy & Angel Back Together Is the Chaos Hulu’s Revival Lacked
Buffy and Angel are one of the great, tragic first love stories, as the two are drawn to each other while destiny forces them apart. Their relationship led to more than a few heartbreaking moments. After all, sending the vampire you love to a hell dimension is never easy. Thankfully, he did come back, getting his own, equally fantastic spin-off series where he got to play detective for a bit. Still, his importance to Buffy’s history can’t be overstated, with their relationship always leading fans to hope for the best through the tense, palpable longing, only to be plunged into the chaos and heartache inherent in their self-sacrificing ways.
Buffy: New Sunnydale may have been bringing back Gellar, but without Boreanaz and several other notable characters, it was set to lack what audiences really wanted from the sequel series in earned emotional stakes. Marsters’ return is always welcome, as Spike’s presence presents its own brand of bedlam, or even heartbreak, but those on team Spike can’t ignore Angel’s importance. While the revival may have been canceled for myriad reasons, one of the biggest issues that gave audiences trepidation was the scant involvement of past characters. With the new Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic book story, Angel returns with an exciting prospect that looks to be the perfect story to fill the void left by the sequel series’ cancellation.
- Release Date
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1997 – 2003
- Network
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The WB
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
