Whispers of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot have been circulating for the past few years, and this new version of the Buffyverse should take place in a futuristic science-fiction setting, like that of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic book spinoff Fray. The cult classic television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, based on the 1992 movie of the same name, aired for seven seasons, from 1997 to 2003. The show followed Buffy Summers (played by Sarah Michelle Gellar), a high school girl from Southern California who was chosen to be a "Vampire Slayer" tasked with protecting the world from forces of darkness.

The television series inspired several Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic book stories, including the unique limited seriesFray, which was a future-set sci-fi spinoff written by Buffycreator Joss Whedon. The eight-issue comic, which debuted in 2001 and finally saw completion in 2003 after publication delays, followed a Vampire Slayer named Melaka Fray as she fought vampires on the streets of Manhattan in the 23rd century.

In 2018, a reboot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was announced, to be written and executive produced by showrunner Monica Owusu-Breen. This new series should lean into the science-fiction-horror genre, similar to what Whedon did with the Fray comic, in order to make it more distinct. The original series is an iconic part of pop culture, and therefore the Buffy the Vampire Slayerreboot has a heavy legacy to carry. If the new show wishes to avoid direct negative comparison to the previous series, a new setting and a new genre could offer audiences something the original never could. If the writers of the reboot set the new story in the future with an entirely new cast of characters, then all audiences could enjoy a reboot that avoids feeling redundant.

Setting the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot at some point in the future could also provide the creative team, including Owusu-Breen, with many opportunities to showcase their imagination regarding the new show's special effects. Since Disney now ownsBuffy the Vampire Slayer, the new showrunner should not have to worry about budgetary restrictions. Special effects technology has developed quite a bit since the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer series aired, so the reboot could provide an entirely new quality of spectacle for audiences to enjoy. In a science-fiction-horror show, the Vampire Slayer could use a laser blaster or hover crafts to vaporize the forces of darkness.

A Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot that incorporates more elements of the science fiction genre could also allow the new cast to interact with characters from the original show. Characters from the reboot could use the combination of magic and technology to travel back in time to meet an older version of Buffy, Giles, Willow, or any other cast member who would be willing to return. This series could expand the Buffy the Vampire Slayer multiverse. In issue #16 of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eightcomics, Buffy time-traveled to the 23rd century and met Malaka Fray, so there's no reason she couldn't do so again in the reboot television series.

Nothing specific has been announced regarding what the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot will look like, but a science-fiction-based series set in the future would be rife with creative opportunities and should be explored further. The original Buffy the Vampire Slayer television show dabbled in science fiction by creating robot foes for Buffy to face, but a Vampire Slayer utilizing futuristic technology to battle the forces of darkness would bring entirely new energy to the television reboot of the Buffyverse. Until the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot arrives, audiences could always read the Fray comic books.

Next: Every Vampire TV Show Currently In Development