Hulu’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot will star a new slayer named Nova, it’s been reported.
Earlier this year, previous Buffy star Sarah Michelle Gellar confirmed that Star Wars: Skeleton Crew actress Ryan Kiera Armstrong would play the reboot’s new lead character, while Gellar herself will appear in a recurring role.
Still, the name of Armstrong’s character has remained under wraps — until now. According to Deadline, Armstrong is playing Nova the vampire slayer — a rather appropriate name, being Latin for “new.”
In other casting news, the report states that young actor Kingston Vernes will portray Carson, a popular student and Junior Olympian who Nova will have a crush on.
Unlike other recent cast confirmations, Vernes’ role is planned as a recurring character. Earlier this week, details were released on the rest of the Buffy reboot’s core cast — including what appeared to be confirmation of its new ‘Scooby Gang.’
This included Severance’s Sarah Bock as Gracie, Law & Order: SVU’s Ava Jean as Larkin, and Faly Rakotohavana as Hugo. Major Crimes’ Daniel di Tomasso plays Abe, while Frasier’s Jack Cutmore-Scott is the mysterious Mr. Burke.
Per a previous casting leak, Gracie is Nova’s best friend, while Hugo is another friend with a crush on Nova. Mr. Burke, meanwhile, will be the new school librarian — a throwback to the original series’ Giles.
Deadline reports that a writer’s room has been assembled, and production on a full first season will likely begin in March 2026 if the series’ forthcoming pilot is picked up by Hulu for a full run.
There’s no word yet on any further returning characters other than Buffy herself, but Gellar — who also serves as an executive producer on the project — has said she hopes to see other classic characters return. Indeed, Buffy actress Charisma Carpenter has already told IGN she’d be keen to appear, after an “unjust” end to her character on spin-off Angel.
Image credit: Karwai Tang/WireImage.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
