Original Buffy cast returns for an audio adventure centred on Spike, but Sarah Michelle Gellar is absent

Fans of the iconic Nineties series Buffy the Vampire Slayer have reason to celebrate as much of the original cast is reuniting for a new Audible series, Slayers: A Buffyverse Story. Stars James Marsters (Spike), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), Danny Strong (Jonathan Levinson), Emma Caulfield Ford (Anya), Amber Benson (Tara Maclay), Anthony Head (Giles), Juliet Landau (Drusilla), and James Charles Leary (Clem) are all reprising their beloved roles. The audio series, set a decade after the TV show’s conclusion, focuses on Marsters’ character, Spike.

Marsters expressed his excitement: “I’m ecstatic to be back with my dear friends for this next chapter in the Buffyverse, as we take listeners on a familiar but unexpected journey chock full of horror, passion and mischief. I’m excited for old and new fans to experience this beloved world of vampire slaying like never before.”

The news has thrilled long-time Buffy fans, who have eagerly awaited a reunion of their favourite characters since the series ended in 2003. The Audible adventure follows Spike living a double life as a villain. His path changes upon meeting Indira Nunnally, a 16-year-old Slayer (played by Laya DeLeon Hayes), prompting him to protect her while seeking a Watcher for her. His journey leads him to an alternate reality where Buffy never existed, reshaping his relationships with old allies and foes.

Slayers: A Buffyverse Story has been co-written by Amber Benson and horror author Christopher Golden, and directed by Benson, Golden, and Kc Wayland, known for We’re Alive: A Story of Survival. The audio series premieres on October 12.

Noticeably absent from the project is Sarah Michelle Gellar, who portrayed Buffy Summers in the original show. While Gellar has largely stepped back from her career to focus on family, she has recently made a return to acting, including roles in Netflix’s Do Revenge, the animated series Masters of the Universe: Revelation, and the Paramount+ drama Wolf Pack.

This isn’t the first cast reunion since Buffy’s finale; in 2019, several stars came together for a convention appearance, but Gellar’s absence then also drew mixed reactions from fans, with some commenting that a Buffy reunion felt incomplete without its titular star. Still, the return of so many original cast members in Slayers: A Buffyverse Story has rekindled enthusiasm for exploring the Buffyverse once again. The new series promises to offer fresh stories and nostalgic connections, bringing fans back into a world filled with supernatural adventure.