Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Reboot Needs To Leave Sunnydale Behind

Talk of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot and a television return to the Slayerverse has been commonplace since 2018, when Fox first announced their plans to continue the franchise. But Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, along with allegations of misconduct by Buffy‘s creator, Joss Whedon, have left the project in limbo with little information coming out for over two years. While the reboot hasn’t officially been canceled, and therefore theoretically will still happen, viewers can only speculate right now about what a rebooted Buffy the Vampire Slayer would look like. One thing is certain, though—a rebooted Buffy needs a new setting.

The original series took place in Sunnydale, California, site of a Hellmouth and within driving distance of Buffy’s old stomping ground from the 1992 film of the same name, also created by Whedon. Sunnydale, a fictional city created for the show, had the quaint qualities of many 90’s television settings. It was a small city (population less than 40,000), that had all the conveniences of a large city, including teen nightclubs, a branch of the University of California, a military base, and an ocean view. It was somehow centrally located and strangely isolated at the same time, and seemed for the most part to be unaffected by happenings in the outside world. Compared to Los Angeles, where the Buffy spinoff Angel took place, the town was squeaky clean with the adult denizens somehow completely oblivious to the monstrous environment they lived in.

A new version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, set in the modern day, needs a modern setting. It also needs to distance itself from its origin story, especially given the tarnished name of creator Whedon. By leaving Sunnydale behind, a Buffy reboot could be made completely fresh and different. The original series made it clear that there were other Hellmouths, including one that Buffy visited in Cleveland. There have also been references (some non-canonical) to Hellmouths on Easter Island, in Rhode Island, and in Dublin. It would be easy to change the setting to just about anywhere in the world and give the new Slayer her own world to live in, free of the memories of her predecessor.

Sunnydale served its early 2000’s audience well, delivering a taste of teen horror with a Beverly Hills: 90210 type vibe. But audiences today aren’t likely to relate quite so well to a bubble-gum-and-magic-shop feel, given the grittier leanings of modern television. Since Sunnydale was completely destroyed at the end of the original series, and the Hellmouth under Sunnydale High was sealed, it only makes sense that a future Slayer would be called to a different location – one without memories of the old Scooby Gang tied to it – where she can make the show her own.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer lives on in the hearts of many as one of the great television experiences of their lives. The show’s history, along with the comic book continuations, novels, and spinoff shows, has had an impact on multiple generations. Any reboot or reimagining must honor the original while setting itself apart, both thematically and creatively, in order to succeed. Changing the setting away from Sunnydale accomplishes the first of many steps on that road.