Buffy the Vampire Slayeris returning for a revival series, and some of the biggest questions surrounding it are which original characters will return. The new show will pick up over 20 years later, where Sarah Michelle Gellar will reprise her role as Buffy Summers alongside a new Slayer played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong.
WhileGellar wants to haveBuffy the Vampire Slayercharacters return, two of the most questionable are Angel and Spike. David Boreanaz was a recurring guest star in season 1 and had a starring role in seasons 2 and 3. With the exception of season 6, he would return for at least one episode per season.
James Marsters' Spike was one of the Big Bads in season 2. He made one appearance in season 3 before being added as a regular cast member starting in season 4. Angel was spun off into his own series in 1999, which Marsters joined in the final season.
The pair were Buffy’s primary love interests in the original series, with debates continuing to rage on about the love triangle to this day. At the time of writing, no original cast members other than Gellar have been announced. Boreanaz has shared his support for the show, while Marsters has been tight-lipped about his involvement.
Although fans want to see them return in theupcomingBuffy the Vampire Slayerreboot, both actors have obviously aged in the past few decades, while their vampire characters should look the same. However, there are a few ways that the story could bring them back.
6Mohra Blood
Angel Was Resurrected This Way Before
BetweenBuffy the Vampire SlayerandAngel,one cure was discovered to bring a vampire back to life: Mohra blood. InAngelseason 1, episode 8, “I Will Remember You,” Angel has his blood mixed with a Mohra demon, which resurrects him and turns him human. The episode seesAngel have a chance at a normal relationship with Buffy, only for it to end in tragedy.
Angel decides to travel back in time to change the outcome, leaving him as a vampire. His rationale is that, as a human, he can’t effectively fight against demons and the forces of darkness. While this could be used as a tool to turn Angel and Spike human, it’s the most unlikely.
5De-Aging
Vampires Stick To The Shadows
De-aging is a technology that works well some of the time, while other times it falls under the distracting uncanny valley. TV budgets are also smaller than feature films, and they simply can’t spend as much as movies.
A recent example of a genre show wasBrent Spiner returning as Data inStar Trek: Picardseason 1. While there was clearly effort put in, the effect wasn’t convincing enough to make it seem like the actor hadn’t aged.
An advantageBuffy the Vampire Slayercould have with Angel and Spike is that vampires obviously do not go into sunlight. A common trick in movies and TV is to hide their visual effects in shadows and darkness. So, with amix of CGI, make-up, and lighting, it could be plausible to have them return.
4Alternate Realities
Buffy Could Build Out A Larger Multiverse
Buffy the Vampire Slayerhas shown alternate dimensions before, and ones with Angel and Spike. In season 3, episode 9, “The Wish,“viewers get a look at a different dimension that includes Angel and the rest of the Scoobies. The series also has a running gag about a world with no shrimp, or one with nothing but shrimp, but those probably won’t come into play.
Marsters reprised his role as Spike in 2023in the Audible series,Slayers: A Buffyverse Story. In the audio drama, Spike travels to another world where his counterpart has died, Cordelia is a Slayer, and Angel was never cursed with a soul. With the seed already planted that other versions of the main characters exist, new ones could appear in the revival.
While this might seem like a disappointing option, it could work narratively. It was recently seen that audiences were willing to accept a different Logan (Hugh Jackman) inDeadpool & Wolverine, so the same could be true here.
3Wolfram & Hart May Still Have Them Under Contract
One Character Shared This Fate In The Comics
Angelseason 5 saw the team take over the evil law firm Wolfram & Hart. One of the darker aspects of this employment is continuing your role after death. This was shown with Holland Manners (Sam Anderson) and Lilah Morgan (Stephanie Romanov), where theircontracts dictated their return beyond their violent deaths.
This storytelling device was already used in theAngel: After the Fallcomics, which was the canonical continuation written by Brian Lynch and Joss Whedon. Whilethe reboot series will almost certainly ignore all the comicsthat came before, one of the best decisions that was made was bringing Wesley (Alexis Denisof) back from the dead, as he died in the employ of the law firm.
AsAngelended with Angel, Spike, Illyria (Amy Acker), and Gunn (J. August Richards) facing off against a massive army on a cliffhanger,it would not be out of the realm of possibility for them all to have died. If that’s the case, Angel and Spike could return as unwilling agents of Wolfram & Hart.
While this would certainly work for Angel, Spike’s status is a little more vague. He generally had no interest in joining Wolfram & Hart until the later episodes of season 5, but still seemed to act more as an independent contractor.
2Angel & Spike Return From A Demon Realm
Time Passes Differently In Demon Dimensions
Although not commonly seen,Buffy the Vampire Slayerestablished that vampires do age, albeit very slowly. The Master (Mark Metcalf) and Kakistos (Jeremy Roberts) were both shown as ancient vampires who changed their appearances over time.
This option could have them retain their status as vampires, while also explaining away why they look older.
It could be presented that during or after the battle with Wolfram & Hart in theAngelseries finale, Angel and Spike were sent to a hell dimension. It has been set up multiple times thatdemon dimensions can operate at a faster speed, with years passing over the span of days or weeks in alternate realities.
If Angel and Spike were banished to another dimension,they arguably could have visibly aged in the past two decades if they spent countless years in a different reality. This option could have them retain their status as vampires, while also explaining away why they look older.
This has been seen with Angel’s son Connor, who entered the hell dimension, Quor’toth, as an infant and returned in his late teens. Buffy also entered a different realm in season 3, episode 1, “Anne,” where people were turned into lifelong slaves, only to be spat out 24 hours later without anyone missing them.
1The Shanshu Prophecy
They Could Be Turned Human
The most likely option is thatAngel, Spike, or both, fulfilled the Shanshu Prophecy. It was established inAngelseason 1, that a vampire with a soul would eventually become human after stopping an untold number of foes. Wesley translates that “The vampire with a soul, once he fulfills his destiny, will become human. It’s his reward.”
The Shashu Prophecy became one of the driving storylines of the show, which was never realized.It was also thrown into question whether Angel was the one the prophecy was aboutafter Spike earned his soul and stopped The First in theBuffy the Vampire Slayerseries finale.
Angelseason 5 sets up that either vampire could be the recipientand “get to be a real boy,“as Spike puts it. Angel pushes this aside, assuming they will both die in the final battle, which is described astheapocalypse, notanapocalypse by Lindsey (Christian Kane). Angel also signs away his chance at the prophecy in blood, so it is unclear if he could be turned human.
Angel and Spike both achieving the Shanshu Prophecyis the simplest way for them to return. It would also be a way to finally give closure on a major storyline that was never resolved. While it will ultimately depend on whether either actor wants to return, there are ways to bring them back for theBuffy the Vampire Slayerreboot.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Sequel Series
Cast
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer sequel series puts a brand new slayer in the spotlight and carries on the continuity of the iconic seven-season original series. Sarah Michelle Gellar returns as the titular Buffy Summers in a supporting role.
