How This Buffy The Vampire Slayer Character Almost Appeared On Firefly

Table of Contents

Summary

Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Spike was intended to appear on Firefly before becoming a series regular on Angel.
Spike’s immortal nature would have allowed him to fit into the futuristic world of Firefly.
Spike’s complex character would have added an interesting dynamic to the crew of Serenity.

The seven-season run of Buffy the Vampire Slayer saw it spawn numerous characters fans came to love, with her loyal “Scooby gang” and roster of entertainingly frightful villains. The series spawned a spinoff with Angel, following Buffy’s first love as he moves to L.A. and solves mysteries. Buffy the Vampire Slayer proved so popular that it also saw novels, video game tie-ins, and even comic books that continued the story after the TV series ended.

However, according to one of Buffy’s longest-running stars, the supernatural series was meant to connect to another Joss Whedon-created series that would have expanded the story in a bold new direction. One fan-favorite character from Buffy the Vampire Slayer was meant to crossover with Firefly.

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Buffy Was Meant To Have More Crossovers Than Angel

Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Angel (David Boreanaz) in Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Angel was a successful spinoff in its own right, creating fan-favorite characters of its own and expanding the world of Buffy with unique new lore. Angel ran for five seasons before leaving fans on a cliffhanger, which was later explored in continuation comics, much like Buffy. Throughout Angel, there are crossovers with Buffy. Cordelia goes from Buffy to Angel, and numerous characters make smaller appearances, like Willow and Oz.

However, in season five of Angel, which occurred after the series finale of Buffy, fan-favorite character Spike transitioned between the shows, becoming a series regular on the spinoff. Despite Spike’s appearance in Angel, the character was intended to have a different journey according to the actor who portrayed him, James Marsters.

As Marsters states in the above TikTok video (via the_electric_crow), Spike was meant to appear on Firefly. The plan was even far enough along that the actor was brought to the sci-fi series set and introduced to the cast. Sadly, Firefly was quickly canceled the same year it released in 2002, before airing all the completed episodes in its sole season. Spike then arrived on Angel as a series regular in the show’s fifth season, which began airing in October 2003.

Had Firefly not been canceled, Spike might never have appeared on Angel, or at least to the capacity of a series regular. Still, it would have posed a unique twist for the sci-fi show and its lore.

Spike’s Trip From Buffy To Firefly Makes Sense

Firefly takes place in 2517 and follows the ragtag crew of the ship Serenity. While vampires were never part of the series, it did involve unique beings, like Reavers, who are explained by the movie, and people like River, who is psychic to a degree. While the troubles that plagued the crew of Serenity were more human in nature than supernatural, Spike’s presence in the future makes sense.

As Marsters explains in the clip, Spike is immortal. That alone is the only conceit needed to allow the character to exist so far in the future. During Buffy’s run, Spike’s past was revealed to a degree, letting audiences know he was born sometime around 1850 and sired by the character Drusilla in the 1880s, making him immortal. As long as Spike continued to survive, which would have included some reality-altering events seen in Firefly and the movie Serenity, his appearance on the show would at least make logical sense.

Spike Would Have Made An Interesting Change To The World Of Firefly

The crew of Serenity is an eclectic mix of personalities. While some are foolhardy rogues, others are refined in the ways of society, and there’s even a brute or two. Between them all, there is a genuine sense of camaraderie, with personalities that spur conflict, friendship, and love. Spike, meanwhile, was always a complicated figure in the world of Buffy. He began as a villain, only to see his journey bring him around to be an anti-hero and even a love interest to the titular slayer. Spike’s complicated history and divisive personality make him someone who would feel at home with the cast of Firefly.

Serenity’s captain, Mal Reynolds, often doesn’t show his feelings and deflects emotional blows with humor, but still steps up in chivalrous ways when the occasion calls for it. Spike was a similar figure by the time Buffy came to an end. While he was a devious villain upon his introduction, he had become a character fans loved by the time the series finale aired. He would deflect emotionally impactful moments with humor, but would still make the sacrifice needed, showing that beneath his icy exterior, he cared.

While Marsters’ turn as Spike on Firefly never came to be, it would have made for another unique crossover in the world of Whedon’s shows. He could have also been a series regular, changing the face of Firefly and the last season of Angel. The concept may get a chance to live in the comic books spawned by each show. But for now, fans will have to wonder what could have been if Spike had made his journey from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to the world of Firefly.