Curse of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Fans rejoice as cult 90s show reboots - but series could be marred by its complicated post-Me Too legacy, 'toxic' accusations and cast tragedy

Daily Mail​

24-07-2025

Ever since its last episode aired more than two decades ago, Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans have been hoping for a reboot and, in February, their prayers were answered.
The era-defining show, set in the fictional town of Sunnydale in California, announced that it was making a surprise comeback via streaming platform Hulu, with lead actress Sarah Michelle Gell ar, now 48, reprising her famous role as Buffy Summers.
Despite previously shutting down suggestions she'd revive her career-defining role, the actress and mother-of-two has had a change of heart - and teased fans with an Instagram snap suggesting she was at a table read for the pilot of a new series. She wrote 'Baby steps' in the caption.
Fans of the series, which originally aired between 1997 and 2003, said they were 'crying, screaming, laughing and throwing up' after seeing Gellar's post.
But despite achieving cult status, the hit series now has a complicated legacy among fans after being marred with allegations of abusive behaviour onset and 'toxic' plotlines as many aspects of the show are viewed very differently in a post-Me Too era.
Among the figures whose reputations have been sullied are the show's creator Joss Whedon - who was accused by cast members of being 'casually cruel' amid other allegations - and Nicholas Brendon, who plays Buffy's best friend, Xander.
Characters who were first written more than 20 years ago are now accused by a modern-day audience of displaying 'toxic masculinity' - while troubling scenes depicting sexual violence make for uncomfortable viewing.
It seems the show's creators are aware of the difficulties facing the series as it's revived in the modern day, as a new director, Buffy super fan Chloe Zhao has been enlisted to take over.
Sandollar, which produced the original series and its spin-off Angel, will again look after the reboot, with Dolly Parton listed as an executive producer.
The series too, will look different to the original. Instead of focusing on Buffy Summers, the reboot will follow a new slayer entirely, to be played by 15-year-old actress Ryan Kiera Armstrong.
Tragically Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Buffy's younger sister Dawn in the original series, will be a notable absence in the reboot after her sudden death at the age of 39 in February.
And it remains uncertain if other cast members will return for a reboot after facing difficulties in their personal lives and becoming vocal critics of conditions on set the first time around.
As production finally begins starts for the long-awaited Buffy the Vampire Slayer revival - albeit in 'baby steps', the show must first grapple with its complicated legacy...
Sexism and diversity rows
When it hit screens in the late 90s, Buffy was ground breaking in many ways; it featured a female heroine who was skilled in martial arts to defeat 'bad guys', and Willow and Tara's relationship was widely considered the first recurring all-female couple to appear on a TV series.
However, as years have passed since the series aired, it has received more and more criticism over a lack of diversity in other areas; while also being slammed for promoting toxic masculinity in male characters - some of whom were presented as heartthrobs.
Best friend and side-kick Xander, played by Nicholas Brendon, posed as the typical 'nice guy' but could scarcely walk the streets without ogling or pestering passing women.
In one scene in the pilot episode, Buffy drops her books, to which Xander responds by saying 'Can I have you? Oh I mean, can I help you?' - in a slip of the tongue that seems to plague his character throughout all seven seasons of the show. It's a characteristic that has been criticised as anti-feminist by the show's modern viewers.
The overall depiction of female characters on the show has sparked furious debate among fans, with some branding the portrayals as sexist, while others say they are empowering.
Series six of the show depicted two prominent female characters indulging in 'evil' behaviour after suffering tragedy as they went on vengeful rampages.
The notion of female characters 'spiralling' into violence and vengeance led to criticism that the plot was misogynistic - something that the show's creators addressed years later.
Both lead show-runner Marti Noxon and Whedon came under fire from fans over the portrayal of the characters; prompting Whedon to respond to such criticisms on a fan forum.
Taking to the Bronze Posting Board on the Buffy website before the age of social media, Whedon admitted 'mistakes' in making the series, but insisted he did not 'neglect' female characters.
Whedon was further criticised by fans for a lack of diversity among the characters, with only a handful of people of colour ever appearing on the show (many of whom feature for only a brief time).
Besides short appearances from Bianca Lawson, who played Kendra Young, Buffy's short-lived fellow Slayer who was killed off in the second season after just three episodes; and Ara Celi, who played the Inca Mummy Girl in one episode of season two - women of colour were essentially non-existent.
Season seven brought a little more diversity to the cast when Potential Slayers, or slayers-in-training, were introduced into the cast - but it was right at the end of the show's time on TV.
'Disturbing' plot line
Throughout its seven seasons, Buffy the Vampire Slayer tackled dark and demonic themes. But one particularly shocking scene left many viewers horrified when it aired.
'Seeing Red', an episode in series six of the show, depicts a lovesick Spike vying for Buffy's affections as he begs for her forgiveness after sleeping with her friend Anya.
However, after tracking her down to a bathroom, Spike's pining turns to violence as he attempts to rape his love interest when she pushes him away.
The 60 second-long scene, in which Buffy, screaming and crying, attempts to wrestle off a particularly aggressive Spike who wants to 'make her feel it', makes for deeply uncomfortable viewing and has been branded 'toxic' by fans on Reddit forums.
For its contemporary audience, the scene was shocking. However as time has passed, it has become ever steeped in controversy for its portrayal of toxic masculinity and romanticising an abusive dynamic.
And it's not just viewers who were left reeling by the scene. James Marsters, who plays Spike, himself described filming the scene as a 'personal hell' and revealed it led him to seek therapy.
Speaking on Michael Rosenbaum's Inside of You podcast, he said: 'It's a problematic scene for a lot of people who like the show. And it's the darkest professional day of my life.'
He revealed the idea had spawned from a writers' meeting in which people around the table were asked to draw on their own 'dark secrets' as inspiration for plots.
He said it had been a female writer's idea to add the scene to the script, after she recalled an incident where she'd returned to an ex's house after being dumped - in the hopes of sleeping with him to 'fix' their breakup.
'She kind of forced herself and he had to physically remove her from the premises, and that was one of the most painful memories of that time of her life,' James continued.
While he wasn't comfortable with the plot, Marsters insisted he was contractually obliged to go ahead with filming.
In a 2023 interview, Gellar, revealed she had re-watched the series that launched her career with her husband, Freddie Prinze Jr. and their children, Charlotte and Rocky - but they skipped 'Seeing Red'.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2023, she said: 'I have trouble with [season] six. It wasn't appropriate for them at the time, and I just don't want to re-watch it.'
Writing for the BBC, journalist Hannah Flint described the highly criticised plot of Seeing Red as a subtle foreshadowing of the allegations against Whedon which later emerged.
She wrote: 'In hindsight, the treatment of women in season six seemed to foreshadow the allegations subsequently made against him by female cast members about his behaviour during the making of the show.'
Michelle Trachtenberg's untimely death
Trachtenberg was a huge character in the original series, as Buffy's abruptly introduced younger sister, Dawn Summers.
Despite indicating she'd be interested in a potential revival of her character, Trachtenberg was never able to see it through - as just weeks later, in February, she was found dead in her New York City apartment at the age of 39.
News of her death rocked the entire world, from Hollywood to beyond. Initially, police sources confirmed to ABC News that Trachtenberg - who also starred in Gossip Girl as Georgina - died of natural causes following a liver transplant.
It was later found that the talented actress had died from complications caused by diabetes, according to the New York City medical examiner's office.
Officers did not perform a post-mortem examination, but said that toxicology tests determined Trachtenberg's cause of death.
Tragically, insiders revealed to DailyMail.com that Trachtenberg had been plotting her upcoming role as Dawn before her untimely death.
'Michelle Trachtenberg was in talks to return to Buffy the reboot and she was incredibly hopeful about it,' a source said.
The insider noted that the drama's lead actress Sarah Michelle Gellar was especially keen to bring the actress back to play her younger sister onscreen.
They revealed that friends of the actress had been aware of her health issues and had hoped that her return to work could help her.
'She was a pivotal role in the original and everyone was aware of her recent health struggles,' the source said.
'They were hoping that, perhaps, casting her as Sarah's sister in a reboot would help her overcome any issues she was having. She was not cast out by any means.'
The insider noted: 'It is still in early stages, but the reboot will feel her void. Fans were hopeful that she would be cast and Michelle expressed interest and excitement at the opportunity.'
After nearly five months after she passed away, Trachtenberg's boyfriend opened up about her death.
Talent agent Jay Cohen, 63, shared a post to mark a milestone anniversary for his health when he was asked by a fan to 'talk' about Trachtenberg.
He simply replied: 'One day soon! I'm very sorry [heartbreak emoji]'
Another user apparently pointed out that it was 'not cool' to ask Cohen about his late girlfriend but he gracefully replied: 'Thank you, it's OK comes from the right place. Michelle was loved by so many.'
Allegations against Joss Whedon
Buffy the Vampire Slayer aired its final episode back in 2003; but it wasn't until 18 years later in 2021 that allegations of 'cruelty' emerged against Joss Whedon.
The allegations came about when Charisma Carpenter (who played Cordelia in Buffy) claimed on X/Twitter that Whedon 'abused his power on a number of occasions' and that his behaviour intensified her 'performance anxiety' and worked to 'disempower me and alienate me from my peers'.
She said his creating a 'toxic' and 'hostile' work environment 'triggered a chronic physical condition from which I still suffer.'
According to the actress, Whedon made 'ongoing, passive-aggressive threats' to fire her, and after she became pregnant, called her 'fat' to colleagues - later asking in a private meeting whether she was 'going to keep it'.
The claim triggered an outpouring of similar allegations from other cast members, with Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Buffy's sister Dawn, telling of an onset 'rule' by which Whedon was not allowed to be alone in a room with her.
Amber Benson, who played Tara Maclay, added to Carpenter's claim, saying there was a 'toxic environment'. She added: 'There was a lot of damage done during that time and many of us are still processing it twenty plus years later.'
She told Digital Spy that during filming for the finale of season five, Whedon had pulled her aside to tell her: 'Hey! Guess what? It's so exciting! We're going to kill your character!'
Backing her castmates, Gellar also issued a statement via Instagram. She wrote: 'While I am proud to have my name associated with Buffy Summers, I don't want to be forever associated with the name Joss Whedon.'
Rumours also resurfaced that Whedon had had romantic affairs with cast members, which were said to have contributed to his divorce in 2012.
Buffy wasn't the only set on which Whedon was accused of inappropriate behaviour.
The same year, Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot made fresh claims against the director, saying he had turned on her when she questioned new lines of dialogue he had given her superhero character.
A witness said that after one clash, Whedon told her to 'shut up and say the lines', and warned her that he had the power to 'make her look incredibly stupid'.
At the time, Gadot told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement: 'I had my issues with [Whedon] and Warner Bros handled it in a timely manner.'
After being hit with multiple allegations of 'toxic' behaviour and work environments, Whedon remained silent until January 2021, when he addressed Israeli actress Gadot's claims.
In an interview with New York Magazine, the director said her accusations were a 'misunderstanding' as 'English is not her first language'.
Addressing the allegations made against him by Buffy cast members, Whedon acknowledged that he had not been as 'civilised' back then.
'I was young,' he said. 'I yelled, and sometimes you had to yell. This was a very young cast, and it was easy for everything to turn into a cocktail party.'
He told the publication he would never intentionally humiliate anyone. 'If I am upsetting somebody, it will be a problem for me. I know I would get angry, but I was never physical with people.'
He vehemently denied Carpenter's claim that he had called her 'fat' while she was pregnant.
He insisted that he had no idea what Trachtenberg was referring to in regards the 'rule' about the two not being allowed in the same room together.
In the same interview, he said he felt 'f*****g terrible' about other claims made about affairs with female cast members. The director insisted he felt he 'had' to sleep with them and felt 'powerless' to resist.
As early as 2017, four years before cast members spoke out about Whedon, the director's ex-wife, Kai Cole, accused him of pretending to be a 'feminist' to disguise his deception
The director has not worked professionally in the industry since 2021, and many from Buffy's extensive fanbase have claimed the allegations have sullied the glittering reputation of the hit show.
Nicholas Brendon's multiple arrests
Buffy's best friend Xander Harris was a bumbling, adorable, floppy-haired young man trying to find his way in the world.
But since the show ended in 2003, Nicholas Brendon, who played Xander, has faced several woes in his life off screen.
A year after the show ended, in 2004, he checked himself into rehab for alcohol problems.
'After realising that I had a disease that was taking control of my life, I decided that the best way for me to regain my health was to enter a treatment facility,' he said at the time.
Just six years later, he returned to rehab after being tasered by police and charged with vandalism, resisting arrest and battery against a police officer. Afterwards, he pleaded no contest and was sentenced to probation and community service.
In October 2014, he was arrested and charged with two misdemeanor counts: malicious injury to property and restraining or obstructing officers, in Boise, Idaho.
Police arrived at a hotel after reports of disturbance with Brendon 'showed signs of intoxication and repeatedly refused officers commands to stay seated while officers tried to speak to witnesses.'
When he was placed in custody, he reportedly tried to walk away. In a similar incident in February 2015, he was placed under arrest for allegedly drunkenly trashing a hotel room in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, following the break down of his marriage.
Two more arrests followed that year, one for allegedly flipping a hotel bedsmashing a porcelain figure, pulling the phone out of the wall and clogging the toilet, and another for public intoxication.
Despite another stint in rehab, Brendon was again arrested later that year after grabbing his girlfriend by the throat, taking her car keys and smashing her cell phone in an attempt to stop her from leaving him.
He was then treated for 90-days in a treatment facility for depression, and told Dr. Phil during an interview that he'd had 'failed attempts at suicide'.
And yet the spiral continued, with the actor being arrested in 2017 after allegedly attacking his girlfriend in a California hotel room.
In May 2019, he was charged with domestic violence for the incident and was sentenced to three years probation.
After several tumultuous years, Brendon appears to be living a more settled life in LA now, posting updates to fans on his Instagram account.