Buffy the Vampire Slayer Stars Charisma Carpenter and Julie Benz Reunite at Comic Con
The co-stars, who played Cordelia Chase and Darla, met 23 years after the beloved series concluded.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer co-stars Charisma Carpenter and Julie Benz reunited on stage at Comic Con Scotland, 23 years after the supernatural drama wrapped its original run.
Carpenter, 56, who portrayed high school student Cordelia Chase, appeared in a grey blazer, purple turtleneck, and jeans. Benz, 54, who played the vampire Darla, opted for leather trousers and a black velvet blazer.
The actresses participated in a joint Q&A panel, sharing behind-the-scenes insights from the show, which originally aired from 1997 to 2003.
Set in the fictional town of Sunnydale, the series followed Buffy Summers, a teenager tasked with fighting evil spirits. A reboot of the show was announced for February 2025, with Ryan Kiera Armstrong set to star as the new slayer and Sarah Michelle Gellar reprising her role as Buffy in a recurring capacity. However, in March, the reboot, titled Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale, was reportedly canceled, with Gellar and director Chloe Zhao said to be blindsided.
Carpenter also reprised her role as Cordelia in the spin-off series Angel from 1999 to 2004. Benz's portrayal of Darla in the Buffy pilot was well-received, leading to an expanded role in subsequent episodes.
Carpenter and Benz previously reunited in 2019 at Wizard World Portland. Other cast members who have attended similar reunions include Amber Benson (Tara), Iyari Limon (Kennedy), Amy Acker (Fred), James Leary (Clem), James Marsters (Spike), Clare Kramer (Glory), Alexis Denisof (Wesley), Alyson Hannigan (Willow), and Nicholas Brendon (Xander).
The original show's legacy has been complicated by allegations of workplace misconduct against creator Joss Whedon. In 2021, Carpenter publicly accused Whedon of abusing his power on set, creating a "toxic" and "hostile" work environment that intensified her performance anxiety and led to a chronic physical condition.
Carpenter alleged that Whedon made passive-aggressive threats to fire her and called her "fat" to colleagues while she was pregnant, questioning her decision to continue the pregnancy. These claims were corroborated by other cast members, including Michelle Trachtenberg, who spoke of a rule preventing Whedon from being alone with her on set, and Amber Benson, who described a "toxic environment."
Sarah Michelle Gellar stated in an Instagram post that while she was proud of her association with the character Buffy Summers, she did not want to be "forever associated with the name Joss Whedon."
Whedon has acknowledged behaving poorly in the past, stating he "yelled" and that the "very young cast" made it easy for things to become casual. He denied intentionally humiliating anyone and vehemently refuted Carpenter's claim of being called "fat" during her pregnancy. Whedon also claimed ignorance regarding the rule about being alone with Trachtenberg.
In a separate interview, Whedon expressed feeling "f king terrible" about claims of romantic affairs with female cast members, stating he felt "powerless" to resist such relationships. Whedon's ex-wife, Kai Cole, had previously accused him in 2017 of posing as a "feminist" while engaging in deception. Whedon has not worked professionally in the industry since 2021, and the allegations have led some fans to believe they have tarnished the reputation of the show.