Posted in: CW, Preview, streaming, Trailer, TV, YouTube | Tagged: angel, bleeding cool, btvs, buffy, buffy the vampire slayer, cable, charisma carpenter, dollhouse, firefly, joss whedon, sarah michelle gellar, streaming, television, tv

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Sarah Michelle Gellar Passes on Reboot Plans

With the fallout from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel star Charisma Carpenter's public accusations against Joss Whedon of abuse and unprofessional behavior during the production of both series still being felt, it would be pretty safe to assume that those long-rumored talks of a Buffy reboot/restart/sequel/spinoff series are going on the back-burner for now. But if or when work on a reboot does start, series star Sarah Michelle Gellar says you can count her out. Checking in as a guest on the On with Mario Lopez podcast, Gellar explained to the actor/host that the story of Buffy works best when told from the perspective of a teenager.

Joking that she's a "wee bit, how do they say, long in the tooth for that," Gellar went on to explain that the "big bads" that Buffy faced were meant to be " a metaphor for the horrors of adolescence." She continued, "I do think that story lends itself, it'd be interesting to see how a chosen one would deal with that. I don't think it's me, I don't think I should be the one doing it." That said, Gellar appreciates that Buffy's story is one that still speaks to newer generations. "I love that the story holds up and that people are calling for that," she said.

When it comes to Carpenter's accusations against Whedon, Gellar declined to comment further than what she posted to social media earlier this month. In the post, Gellar wrote, "I am more focused on raising my family and surviving a pandemic currently, so I will not be making any further statements at this time. But I stand with all survivors of abuse and am proud of them for speaking out."

After living with the experience for "nearly two decades" before speaking up last week, Carpenter claimed in social media posts earlier this month that, "Joss Whedon abused his power on numerous occasions while working on the sets of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and 'Angel.' While he found his conduct amusing, it only served to intensify my performance anxiety, disempower me, and alienate me from my peers. The disturbing incidents triggered a chronic physical condition from which I still suffer. It is with a beating, heavy heart that I say I coped in isolation and, at times, destructively." You can read Carpenter's entire statement below, where the actress goes on to offer examples of her allegations as well as revealing that she took part in WarnerMedia's investigation into Justice League star Ray Fisher's claims against Whedon.

Here's a look at the Buffy and Angel star's original tweets from last Wednesday:

On July 1, 2020, Fisher aka Cyborg took to Twitter to accuse Whedon of being abusive on the 2017 set not long after Whedon took over from Zack Snyder (who left the production due to a family tragedy), and that two other executives helped enable Whedon's alleged actions. WarnerMedia opened an investigation into Fisher's allegations, but in early September the company claimed that Fished wasn't cooperating with third-party investigators Fisher denied those claims, while friends co-stars such as Jason Mamoa began publically supporting Fisher and demanding WarnerMedia take action.

Then on November 24, word came down from Whedon that he was stepping away from his upcoming HBO series The Nevers. Whedon cited "the level of commitment required moving forward, combined with the physical challenges of making such a huge show during a global pandemic" as being a major factor in his decision. HBO confirmed in a brief statement that it had parted ways with the show's creator, writer, director, executive producer, and showrunner. "We have parted ways with Joss Whedon. We remain excited about the future of The Nevers and look forward to its premiere," wrote the cable network in a statement. Along with Gellar, Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn Summers), Amber Benson (Tara Maclay), Emma Caulfield (Anya), Anthony Head (Rupert Giles), Eliza Dushku (Faith), James Marsters (Spike), J. August Richards (Charles Gunn), David Boreanaz (Angel), Amy Acker (Fred), and Nicholas Brendon (Xander) as well as writers Marti Noxon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) and Jose Molina (Firefly), have taken to social media to offer Carpenter support.

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