Credit: (L) MGM Television / (R) 20th Century StudiosWho will replace Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy the Vampire Slayer?
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997 — 2003) might have an enormous cult following, but the television series has been dead and buried for 20 years. However, just like vampires, it probably won’t stay dead for too long, as a reboot, whether film or show, is inevitable.
It’s surprising the show hasn’t gone under the knife, though, (although, technically, Buffy has already been rebooted, as the series is a remake of the 1992 film). There have been many attempts at resurrection over the years, but none of them ever saw the light of day (every single pun intended).
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Buffy has continued in the form of comic books and novels, so there’s still plenty for fans to sink their teeth into. As for whether or not Sarah Michelle Gellar would ever reprise her role as Buffy Summers, don’t hold your breath (unless you’re a vampire, then it doesn’t matter).
Last year it was confirmed that a Buffy reboot is ” on pause indefinitely”, and earlier this year, the Scooby-Doo (2002) star put the final nail in the coffin, laying any hopes of reprising her role as the stake-wielding, Sunnydale teen to rest.
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But the franchise is probably just waiting for the right star to come along and sink their teeth into its neck and give it new life. Otherwise, why even bother considering moving forward with a Buffy reboot if you don’t have “the Chosen One”?
We’ve handpicked seven talented stars who could pick up the stake (and the cheerleader pom poms), and join Rupert Giles, Xander Harris, Willow Rosenberg, Cordelia Chase, and the rest of the gang in Sunnydale High’s library to plot out their vampire-slaying patrols.
Who could replace Sarah Michelle Gellar?
1. Jessica Rothe
We’re probably not the only ones who think that Jessica Rothe channels her inner-Sarah Michelle Gellar as Tree Gelbman in the sci-fi slasher comedy films, Happy Death Day (2017) and its sequel Happy Death Day 2U (2019).
Rothe oozes charisma as “the final girl” who’s caught in a Groundhog Day-style time loop, in which she also has to fend off a crazed serial killer. It’s not too dissimilar from Vampire Slayer duties if you think about it (Buffy even has its own time loop episode).
At 36, some might argue that Rothe is “too old” to play a teenager, but who’s to say the new Buffy the Vampire Slayer would need to find the character during her teenage years? A Buffy reboot set at a later point in the character’s life could be an interesting take.
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2. McKenna Grace
Though she’s only 17 years’ old, McKenna Grace has starred in numerous films and television shows. Her most notable is Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), in which she plays Phoebe, the granddaughter of original Ghostbuster, Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis).
Grace has also appeared in other supernatural flicks, such as Annabelle Comes Home (2019), so she’s clearly no stranger to ghosts, ghouls, and other paranormal entities. This makes her a perfect candidate for Buffy Summers, and she’s about the right age too.
The Captain Marvel (2019) actress will next appear in the untitled sequel to Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which was recently delayed until March, 2024. So if there’s something strange in your neighborhood, whether it’s ghosts or vampires, you’ll want to call McKenna Grace.
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3. Maya Hawke
Maya Hawke, the daughter of Hollywood legends Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, is best known for playing teenager Robin Buckley in Netflix’s Stranger Things (2016), the sci-fi horror/drama series that has taken the world by storm in recent years.
While Hawke, 25, is part of the main ensemble in the show, along with the likes of Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), and Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), she still feels like something of a side-character at times.
Hawke’s character is sweet, compassionate, charming, vulnerable, and both funny and capable in dangerous situations. Sound familiar? We think it’s time for Hawke to pick up a stake, replace Sarah Michelle Gellar, and relocate from Hawkins to Sunnydale.
Related: ‘Stranger Things’ Is Returning This December, but Not Everyone’s Coming Back
4. Jenna Ortega
Jenna Ortega is a rising star. After playing the titular character in the hit Netflix show, Wednesday (2022), the reboot/spinoff of The Addams Family, Ortega became a household name. But like McKenna Grace, she already had an extensive acting resume.
Not only did she play one of the lead teenage characters in the Netflix animated series, Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous (2020 — 2022), she’s also one of the main final girls in Scream (2022) and Scream VI (2023), and will be returning for Scream 7 (2024).
But it’s the 20-year-old star’s performance as Wednesday Addams that makes her qualify for the role of Buffy, as it would certainly be refreshing to see a somber, darker, and sardonic version of Buffy Summers. Ortega has also kicked Ghostface’s butt a few times in the Scream films, which also looks great on her application.
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5. Isabella Sermon
Isabella Sermon might not be the most obvious choice to replace Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers in a reboot of the iconic ’90s television series, however, all you need is a little reminder of Sermon’s character in the last two Jurassic World films.
In Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022), Sermon, 17, plays Maisie Lockwood, a young girl who discovers she’s a human clone. Naturally, Maisie doesn’t handle this very well, and continues to struggle with it in the 2022 sequel.
It sounds like a similar responsibility to being called upon as “the Chosen One”. Battling dinosaurs in gothic mansions isn’t a far cry from vampires either. The British actress is also very handy with a wood axe and a Swiss army knife in the latest Jurassic film.
Related: Brand-New ‘Jurassic World’ Trailer Takes the Franchise Underwater
6. Halle Bailey
Halle Bailey sparkles as Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid (2023), the live-action adaptation of the 1989 animated classic. Unfortunately, racist trolls overshadowed the film even before it hit theaters, where it didn’t make as big a splash as we’d hoped.
The 23-year-old singer-songwriter and actress would make an excellent Buffy Summers in a modernized reboot of the cult classic series. Bailey also has an incredible singing voice, and we know Buffy the Vampire Slayer is no stranger to musicals!
Unfortunately, though, casting the African-American actress as Buffy Summers in a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot would likely cause just as much controversy as The Little Mermaid. But we’re sure Bailey can handle otherworldly entities of both varieties.
Related: Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ Remake Slated for Streaming
7. Sasha Calle
Despite playing Kara Zor-El/Supergirl in The Flash (2023), Sasha Calle is yet to become a household name, but playing Buffy Summers in the Buffy reboot could change that. The 28-year-old actress is easily one of the better parts of the latest DC Universe installment.
Calle makes her debut appearance in the DCU as the Kryptonian superhero, and brings a certain edge to the role we don’t often see in Supergirl (or Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman for that matter). And then, of course, there’s all the super-powered fighting.
The actress would really need to pull those punches if she’s to replace Sarah Michelle Gellar and play Buffy the Vampire Slayer, though (after all, we’d like a brand-new television series to last longer than just one episode).
Related: ‘The Flash’ Is Now Available to Watch at Home!
As per Disney+, here’s the official synopsis for Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a comedy-action series that chronicles the adventures of Buffy Summers, a teenage girl who is gifted with the strength and skill to hunt vampires.
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer the series stars Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), David Boreanaz (Angel), Anthony Head (Rupert Giles), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Seth Green (Oz), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Eliza Dushku (Faith), and James Marsters (Spike).
Related: All 5 Seasons of ‘Angel’ Ranked Worst to Best
Who would you like to see replace Sarah Michelle Gellar? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!