Disney is laying the perfect groundwork for a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot or relaunch. Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s legacy is a strange and confused one. The show undeniably had a massive cultural impact, and it’s impossible to imagine modern pop culture without the influence of Buffy and her Scooby Gang. Sadly, the last few years have forced a reappraisal of this impact, largely in light of accusations of misconduct by Joss Whedon. As dearly loved as Buffy the Vampire Slayer may be, its production was clearly troubled and painful, and behind-the-scenes drama has left a lot of scars.

This perhaps explains why Disney has been slow to reboot or relaunch Buffy the Vampire Slayer. An impending relaunch was first announced back in 2018, with Monica Owusu-Breen (Midnight, Texas) attached as showrunner. There’s been no news since then, even after Disney acquired the rights to Buffy when they purchased the bulk of Fox’s film and TV empire. The House of Mouse is already attempting to make the most of their new assets, but at first glance they seem to have decided it’s time to give the Slayer a rest.

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That first glance would be misleading, however. Rather than focus on Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a TV franchise, Disney instead seem to be focusing on developing it through transmedia. The comic book license is currently held by Boom! Studios, and they’ve introduced Buffy’s multiverse – the “Slayerverse” – as a way to tell original stories. Meanwhile, the last few years have seen two new Slayers make their debuts in excellent novels by Kiersten White and Kendare Blake; both spin out of the events of Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 7, weaving alternate directions for the franchise that are possible precisely because of a loose multiverse. Disney’s overall approach appears to be reminiscent of the one adopted by Lucasfilm back in the early ’90s, when they recruited New York Times bestselling authors to launch the Star Wars Expanded Universe. These books successfully raised the Star Wars franchise’s profile once again, tempting George Lucas himself back.

Kiersten White’s “Slayer” duology and Kendare Blake’s recently-launched “In Every Generation” range are perfect for figuring out how to make a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot/relaunch work. There’s a sense in which each new book serves as a datapoint, helping Disney understand what resonates and what doesn’t, what will draw in fans and what will turn them off. Meanwhile, the successful recruitment of such high-profile fantasy authors serves to remind fans the franchise is far from dead, hopefully increasing engagement with the brand.

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There is, of course, one crucial difference between the approach Disney will take and the Star Wars story. In Lucasfilm’s case, Star Wars returned to the big screen when its creator decided it was time to make more movies. In contrast, there’s absolutely no way a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot/relaunch will ever involve the show’s creator Joss Whedon. His past has complicated the show’s legacy, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer needs to move on beyond Whedon, embracing the good and discarding the baggage that comes with him.

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Thomas Bacon
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Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

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