Buffy the Vampire Slayerstar Charisma Carpenter shares her candid thoughts about returning as Cordelia after the character’s controversial death. It was confirmed in early February that Hulu greenlit a pilot order for aBuffy the Vampire Slayerreboot. Sarah Michelle Gellar will recur, reprising her iconic role as Buffy Summers, though the focus will turn to a new slayer. Oscar-winningNomadlanddirector Chloé Zhao will direct the pilot, withPoker Faceshowrunners Lilla and Nora Zuckerman writing the script.The project has not been picked up yet, although audiences are wondering which original cast members might return.
According toCollider, while speaking at the Indiana Comic-Con over the weekend, Carpenter touched on the possibility of returning as Cordelia. The actor, an original cast member for the first three seasons ofBuffy, before moving on to the spinoffAngel, acknowledged that the Hulu pilot is still in its early stages. Despite Cordelia’s death inAngelseason 5, and although she asked for the character not to be killed off, Carpenter saysshe does hope to be substantively involved with the reboot. Read the quote below:
“I hope so. From what I understand, there isn’t even a pilot at the moment, so I hope — if I am involved — I hope so in some fashion it’s more in a substantive way. That would be my dream.”
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Carpenter spoke out about the workplace abuse allegationsagainstBuffycreator andAngelco-creator Joss Whedon, recalling how he targeted her and lashed out because of her pregnancy. This experience that Carpenter shared arguably manifested on-screen, in the eyes of many viewers, with how drastically Cordelia’s storylines shifted before the character waswritten off at the end ofAngelseason 4.
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In the bookSlayers & Vampires: The Complete Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Buffy & Angelby authors Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman, Carpenter spoke aboutreturning as a special guest star for theAngelseason 5episode, “You’re Welcome.“In the episode, which is alsoAngel’s 100th episode overall, Cordelia makes her final appearance. She awakes from her coma and helps David Boreanaz’s brooding vamp on his journey one last time. The character does appear in the post-show comics, which are considered canon.
The Zuckermans will executive produce the reboot, as will Zhao and Gellar alongside original producers Gail Berman, Fran Kuzui, and Kaz Kuzui. Dolly Parton, an uncredited producer during the original, is also among the executive producers for the 20th Television and Searchlight Television reboot. Whedon is not involved in the project.
In the oral history, Carpenter shares thather one request for returning was that Cordelia wouldn’t be killed off. The actor recalled that this was agreed on, so it left her surprised when she read the script. She acknowledged that Cordelia’s send-off was emotional and touching. But for the fandom that adored the character, it’s hard not to view the story in the context of how Carpenter was treated overall.
Our Take On Carpenter’s Potential Return
It Depends On How It’s Done
In her capacity as the returning star and executive producer, Gellar has said that theBuffy the Vampire Slayerreboot is progressing well. There are likely many conversations about which characters to bring back and how, but even stars like James Marsters are remaining coy about their involvement. As for Carpenter, her potential return would have to be done in a meaningful way, but even that’s not always a guarantee with reboots. The much-awaited revival is in its early stages, so hopefully, there will be some useful updates in the coming months.
