Posted on July 23, 2018

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Is Getting a Reboot with a Black Woman in the Lead Role

Aja Romano, Vox, July 20, 2018

It’s been 21 years since Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer first arrived on the scene with its seminal mix of urban fantasy, teen angst, and clever worldbuilding and wordplay. Now, Whedon has announced that he will revive his beloved series for a new generation of Slayers — with one major twist.

Working with 20th Century Fox TV through its cable and streaming development arm, Fox 21 TV Studios, Whedon will produce an “inclusive” reboot of Buffy starring a black woman in the iconic title role originally played by Sarah Michelle Gellar.

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This is all great news for Buffy fans. However, the original series already had multiple characters of color who could factor into an “inclusive” reboot — including the Black slayer Kendra and the “First Slayer,” as well as other characters. As a result, some fans reacting to news of the reboot online have expressed confusion as to why a reboot has to racebend Buffy, when it could simply focus on a different character. {snip}

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