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Sarah Michelle Gellar makes subtle dig about canceled ‘Buffy’ reboot at Emmys: ‘I guess we...’

‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ fan favorites came together on stage to present the award for Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ fans were ecstatic today as their beloved Buffy and Angel reunited on the 2026 Primetime Emmy Awards stage. Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz, who played the iconic characters, took the stage to present the award for Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. The honor eventually went to Matthew Rhys. Gellar seemingly took the opportunity to throw shade at Hulu for the sad demise of 'Buffy's' highly anticipated reboot. During the speech, Boreanaz voiced the thoughts of many 'Bangel' shippers, saying, “You know, Sarah, I always thought that Buffy and Angel would end up together.” Gellar chimed in with, “Well, I guess we won’t find out.” 

Fans worldwide were ecstatic when Gellar announced that she would revisit the iconic show in a new reboot titled 'Buffy: New Sunnydale.' The plans fell apart when Hulu pulled the plug on the reboot in 2026. Gellar announced the cancellation on Instagram in 2025. “I am really sad to have to share this, but I wanted you all to hear it from me. Unfortunately, Hulu has decided not to move forward with ‘Buffy: New Sunnydale,’” Gellar said in a video. “I want to thank Chloé Zhao, because I never thought I would find myself back in Buffy’s stylish yet affordable boots. And thanks to Chloé (Director), I was reminded how much I love her and how much she means not only to me but to all of you. And this doesn’t change any of that, and I promise if the apocalypse actually comes, you can still beep me.” The reboot would have starred Ryan Kiera Armstrong as the new Slayer and featured Gellar returning as Buffy.  

Gellar was shocked when the project did not move forward. During her appearance at the SXSW Film & TV Festival for the premiere of her new movie 'Ready or Not 2: Here I Come,' she placed the blame on a Hulu executive. “We had an executive on our show who was not only not a fan of the original, but was proud to constantly remind us that he had never seen the entirety of the series and how it wasn't for him," she stated, according to PEOPLE. "That's very hard when you're taking a property that is as beloved as Buffy, not just to the world, but to me and Chloé. So that tells you the uphill battle that we had been fighting since day one, when your executive is literally proud to tell you that he didn't watch it." Seems like things still aren't hunky dory with the streaming site.

The Emmy appearance coincided with the show’s 30th anniversary, which each actor acknowledged in their speech. “Hard to believe it’s been 30 years since Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered,” Boreanaz began. “I mean, when you think about it, it’s kind of crazy, right? A teenage girl chosen by fate to fight vampires and demons, the forces of darkness, and then she falls in love with a vampire with a soul, carrying around a couple of 100 years of regret.” Gellar then took over.  “A much, much older vampire with a soul and agonizing remorse about his past. For those of you who don’t know, his character was 241 years old,” she added. 

The duo took the opportunity to remember cast members from the iconic show they lost last year. “David and I would like to acknowledge that it has been a tough two years for our beloved cast and crew, and we feel very lucky to have known and worked with such amazing people,” Gellar shared. The actress was referring to original Buffy stars Nicholas Brendon and Anthony Head, both of whom recently died. This served as a mini tribute to everyone's favorite Xander and Rupert from the series. All episodes of the original show are currently streaming on Hulu.