Buffy Cast Ponders The End
The future of UPN's Buffy the Vampire Slayer depends on whether or not star Sarah Michelle Gellar comes back for an eighth season"”a decision yet to come"”but cast and crew told SCI FI Wire they have mixed feelings about returning themselves. Executive producer Marti Noxon said in an interview that she's leaving the door open to coming back. "I had really mixed feelings, and I think one of the reasons I wouldn't want to come back would just be that I feel like we're still doing a really, really good show, and if Sarah leaves and the show changes, it might be time to just say, 'Look, we left while it was still fantastic.'"
Noxon added that she and series creator Joss Whedon are looking at possible spinoffs should Gellar depart. "Honestly, there are many possibilities, and there's no one that's been decided on," she said. "But there is an exciting spinoff idea that Joss has that I think is really going to be exciting to people."
For his part, cast member James Marsters (Spike) said in an interview that he remains open to more seasons in the Buffyverse. "I'm interested in continuing with the show," he said. "Contractually, it depends on if it's still Buffy or not whether I'm committed to it. That's the legal sense. But artistically I'm interested in continuing with the writers and producers."
Alyson Hannigan (Willow) is preparing herself for Buffy to end, her fiance, Angel's Alexis Denisof, said. "I think that she feels that they've done it, you know?" he said in an interview. "I think that's the feeling around there for most people"”that, you know, they've told those many stories that make that one big story. And so if it were to carry on, obviously, they'd all get excited about it, whatever the new ... incarnation of it would be, but I think she's preparing herself for this being the last year, because that's the sensible thing to do psychologically. And things are going pretty good outside that [for her]. So if a show has to end, and it's always sad when it does, for her, it's probably not a bad time for that to happen."
Nicholas Brendon (Xander) said in an interview that he remains gung ho. "Hang it up? Yeah, I don't know. Hey, listen, I'm having a great time," he said. "I haven't heard that people think that this should be the last year of the show. We are [technically] on year six, because our first year was [as] a midseason replacement. So if people think we should hang it up, well, then, fine, that's what they think. But I haven't heard anyone think ... that we should hang it up. We're having a great time, and it's still a great show. I would love to [do another season]. ... I think we have some great stuff in it still."
