A more diverse Buffy the Vampire Slayer is in the works with Joss Whedon determined to execute some much needed change.
A woman of color will play Buffy the Vampire Slayer in an upcoming reboot.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a popular teen supernatural television series that ran for more than six years, from 1997-2003. It was based on a 1992 film of the same name written by Joss Whedon.
In 2018, the reboot for the show was first announced with Whedon confirmed to executive produce. Whedon promised to deliver a ‘richly diverse' reboot series for the cult-favorite series.
Producer and screenwriter Monica Owusu-Breen will act as the showrunner for the upcoming reboot.
The complete casting details are yet to be revealed, including who will portray Buffy's character, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar in the original series.
Since the news of the reboot came out, some of the previous cast of the original series have already expressed their excitement.
Amber Benson, who played Tara, a lesbian character in the original series, said she's thrilled to know Whedon's part of the reboot.
Speaking to Digital Spy, Benson said: "I was so excited because Joss (Whedon) was involved, a woman of color was going to be running the show, and Buffy was going to be a woman of color. I thought that was really important."
Although Benson thinks the original series contained some diversity, she believed that the series 'could have had more.' Unfortunately, it wouldn't have been welcomed during their time.
"So, Buffy – it had some diversity. But I feel like it could have had more. And that was just the time. That sort of onus wasn’t on the creative world to show the world in a diverse way. I would very much like to see Buffy in a diverse world. I think it would be a really amazing thing," Benson said.
Benson also expressed she'd love to take part in the reboot.
"Sure. I would pop in for a little cameo. Heck yeah!" she said with enthusiasm.
Whedon has previously expressed that he's intent on making Willow (played by Alyson Hannigan) bisexual if he's given the chance to reboot the show for the modern times.
Willow fell in love with Tara (Benson) in season four. She identified herself as gay despite being attracted to men in the early season.
Whedon revealed he's been under pressure forcing him to not make Willow bisexual due to fears that people might perceive her same-sex attraction as just a 'phase.'
He believes the world is not ready yet to embrace such a fluid concept of sexuality at the time when they were shooting the original series.
"There are things you can’t do, thanks to [the society at the time]. It was like, ‘Okay, you can’t make Willow bi, you can’t say this is a phase, because that’s what people do to deny their existence." Whedon explained via Metro in May.
He added: "So if I did it now, I’d be like yes she can be bi. Because some people are! But back then, it was like, no…we’re not ready for that."
Time is now on Whedon's side, this is just the perfect decade for him to execute his original plans. The world has changed a lot more than two decades since the original series first aired. Although there is still much work to be done, the society has become undeniably more aware of the issues surrounding gender, race, and sexuality.
It's exciting to see what Whedon could do for Buffy the Vampire Slayer now that he's no longer constrained by the social boundaries that limited him before. Needless to say, we can't wait to find out who will be portraying the iconic role of Buffy Summers for the upcoming reboot too!
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