The new show runner responsible for rebooting ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ responded to criticisms about the series with a message on Thursday…
News that a ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ reboot was in the works last week was met with noticeable criticism from long time admirers of the television series that ran from 1997 to 2003.
The updated version with original ‘Buffy’ creator Joss Whedon on board as an executive producer will see Monica Owusu-Breen serving as show runner after working on series such as ‘Midnight, Texas’ and ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ in the past.
The new ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ will reportedly cast a black actress in the lead role that was originated by Sarah Michelle-Gellar but details beyond that piece of information has been sketchy at best.
Still, longtime fans of the original ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ consider that series untouchable and news of a reboot has been met with backlash in the past after previous attempts have been made at returning to the show without the original cast attached.
On Thursday, Owusu-Breen issued a statement regarding her take on the ‘Buffy’ mythos while also hinting that the show she’s creating may be a sequel to the original series rather than a reboot.
“For some genre writers it’s Star Wars. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is my Star Wars. Before I became a writer, I was a fan. For seven seasons, I watched Buffy Summers grow up, find love, kill that love. I watched her fights, and struggle, and slay. There is only one Buffy. One Xander, one Willow, Giles, Cordelia, Oz, Tara, Kendra, Faith, Spike, Angel…They can’t be replaced. Joss Whedon’s brilliant and beautiful series can’t be replicated. I wouldn’t try.
“But here we are, twenty years later…and the world seems a lot scarier. So maybe, it could be time to meet a new Slayer….And that’s all I can say.”
— m.o.b. (@monicabreen) July 26, 2018
In the ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ mythology, a new slayer is chosen for each generation or after the last slayer perishes. In the final season of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ on television, the gift of the slayer was passed down to dozens of girls who all took up the mantle to help Buffy in her battle against evil.
‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ then carried on as a comic book series that is still ongoing with Dark Horse Comics every month.
While the statement released doesn’t say anything specifically, it certainly sounds like the revamped version of ‘Buffy’ will be a continuation of the story rather than a reboot that would just see a new actress playing the role of Buffy with other actors being cast in the iconic roles that defined the original series.
To show his support, original ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ star James Marsters sent out a message to Osuwu-Breen following her statement on Thursday.
https://twitter.com/JamesMarstersOf/status/1022671871857160192
