Ryan Kiera Armstrong has been cast as the next vampire slayer in Buffy. The young actress will star in the series alongside the returning Sarah Michelle Gellar, whose Buffy Summers is expected to act as a mentor to Armstrong's new Chosen One.

The Buffy's cast continues that wave of excitement. Indeed, it sounds pretty much perfect.

Buffy's New Slayer Being Relatively Unknown Is Perfect For The Revival

Ryan Kiera Armstrong Is Already An Excellent Choice

Armstrong has already built-up an impressive resume despite being just 15-years-old, having appeared in things like American Horror Story: Red Tide and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. Still, she is almost a complete unknown to most people, and very much a fresh face, which I think is exactly the right call for the Buffy revival. The casting comes with no pre-conceived notions, allowing for a completely fresh experience for audiences.

There'll inevitably still be comparisons to Gellar, but having someone so unknown in the role can allow them to shape it without the same expectations.

Similar to, say, Star Wars: The Force Awakens casting Daisy Ridley as Rey, rather than one of the many bigger-name actors linked to the role (such as Jennifer Lawrence), Armstrong's casting is a perfect way to develop a new star and truly make them the next Slayer. There'll inevitably still be comparisons to Gellar, but having someone so unknown in the role can allow them to shape it without the same expectations.

5 Notable Ryan Kiera Armstrong Roles

Year

Title

Character

2019

It: Chapter Two

Victoria Fuller

2021

American Horror Story: Red Tide

Alma Gardner

2022

Firestarter

Charlie Mcgee

2023

The Old Way

Brooke

2024

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew

Fern

Popular fancasts from recent years, such as Kathryn Newton or McKenna Grace, as good as they'd probably be, would've likely been expected to be more Buffy Summers-esque (which is exactly why they were fancast, of course). Even someone like Zendaya (who Gellar herself had previously ed having a role), brings with it ideas of watching a Zendaya performance.

Most people are going to meet Armstrong at the same time as they meet her Slayer, and to bring this show to a new generation, that just feels right (and not too dissimilar to Gellar's casting, who had success but was less known to prime-time viewers). Also, with her being so young, then it should be perfect for longevity, authenticity, and creating a great teacher-pupil (and perhaps, to some extent, Lone Wolf & Cub) dynamic as Buffy and the new Slayer go on to save the world... a lot.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer's Sequel Can Define The Show For A Whole New Generation

Armstrong Can Lead The Revived Series Into The Future

Buffy the Vampire Slayer final shot of the series finale

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot bringing Gellar back is a good thing, because it not only needs the actress' seal of approval, but Buffy's presence: her heart, humor, and heroism should still be key parts of the show. But if it's to have a long-term future, it needs more than nostalgia, and that means a new lead character, which is what Armstrong will provide. And with her casting, she can be the person to lead Buffy - and whatever the revived series ends up being called - into that future, opening it up to fans new and old.

Each Slayer should be unique, and Armstrong's casting really feels like a push towards that, rather than a suggestion it'll just be a Buffy redux. Her emotional response to the news, as seen in the Instagram video above from Gellar's page, shows how much it means, but it's also worth thinking about how much this will mean to viewers, too, especially younger generations of girls who can discover this series through the revival.

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer sequel has a pilot episode order from Hulu, with Chloé Zaho set to direct and a script written by Nora and Lila Zuckerman.

"Into every generation, a Slayer is born..." may not be quite as accurate as it once was, given all potentials were turned into Slayers, but it's still a fitting mission statement to begin the revival with, and Armstrong, an unknown, being the one to take this journey and develop a character we'll hopefully come to love as much as Buffy herself, is a very exciting step for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot.