Buffy Star Confirms Fan-Favorite Was Set to Return in Reboot — and the Prep Was Intense

So, about that Buffy revival you might have been quietly hoping would actually happen - here is where things landed, and yeah, Spike fans, brace yourselves.

The Hulu revival that almost was

Sarah Michelle Gellar announced a new Buffy the Vampire Slayer was headed to Hulu, and she was set to put the stake back in Buffy's hand. The twist: the show would center on a new Slayer named Nova, played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong, with Gellar back as Buffy and open to legacy faces dropping in. Fans started fantasy- casting the old crew immediately.

The one hard no from the original roster was David Boreanaz, who said he was too old to slip back into Angel. Everyone else? On the table, at least in theory.

James Marsters was already training to be Spike again

James Marsters, who played Spike, sounded confident his bleach-blond vampire was part of the plan. During a Streamily chat on Instagram, he said he was prepping like it was 2001 all over again, because he fully expected to be back. He is 63 now, but he figured Spike was still doable, and he was putting in the work.

"I had heard that they were planning on having Spike come back, and I was getting ready for that. I was doing so many thousands of sit ups to get ready for that. And it doesn't look like this iteration is happening."

That "iteration" was Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale, and according to Marsters, Hulu has since pulled the plug on that version. Translation: if you were picturing Spike swaggering back into town, that door is shut for now.

How it unraveled

Gellar had actually turned down returning to Buffy multiple times over the years. What changed? The involvement of Oscar- winning director Chloe Zhao got her to say yes to this new take. On top of that, the pilot itself was directed by a two-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker. Even with those names and Gellar back in the mix, Hulu passed after the pilot was shot.

Hulu has said they are open to revisiting Buffy down the line. Realistically, Gellar taking another swing at it after this is a long shot.

What that means for the old gang

If Gellar is out, the odds of other original cast members returning - including Marsters - drop to almost nil. The false start also spooked folks tied to other Joss Whedon-era projects: the Firefly cast publicly signaled they want to make an animated series and encouraged fans to make noise now, presumably to avoid ending up in the same pilot-then-no series limbo.

As of today, it looks like Buffy is staying in the crypt, at least on TV.

• The plan: Hulu revival led by a new Slayer, Nova (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), with Sarah Michelle Gellar back as Buffy.
• Legacy returns were possible; David Boreanaz said no to Angel due to age.
• James Marsters heard Spike was coming back, trained hard at 63, then learned this version is not moving forward.
• Chloe Zhao's involvement convinced Gellar to return; a two-time Oscar-nominated director helmed the pilot.
• Hulu passed after the pilot but says they are open to revisiting Buffy someday; Gellar is unlikely to try again.
• Without Gellar, a broader cast reunion is very unlikely; Firefly folks are pushing for an animated route to keep momentum alive.