The Glee reboot is officially confirmed, and fans are reacting with a mix of excitement and sadness, with many paying tribute to the late Naya Rivera, who played Santana Lopez. The musical comedy-drama is being revived more than a decade after the original ended in 2015.
After the official Glee X account announced the reboot, viewers rushed to the comments to share their mixed emotions and urge the show's creators to protect her character's story. One wrote: "I'M EXCITED BUT SAD CAUSE IT'LL NEVER BE THE SAME WITHOUT NAYA."
Another said: "Do NOT kill off Santana! Just let her live happily ever after." A third added: "You touch Santana no one will watch it I'm so serious don't touch Brittana either."
Rivera's Legacy and Murphy's Acknowledgment
Rivera died aged 33 from accidental drowning during a trip to Lake Piru with her four-year-old son in July 2020. Co-creator Ryan Murphy has also acknowledged how difficult it would be to revisit the show without Rivera.
Speaking to Bustle, he explained: "It was a really tough show to do, and it would be really hard to do it now that Naya [Rivera] is gone. But I do know that Glee fans would probably come after me with pitchforks and jazz hands if I said no." His comments were reported by the Mirror.
The star went missing during a boat trip with her son and after a long search, divers found her body, prompting an outpouring of love from her co-stars.
Fans Call for Original Cast
On hearing the news of the reboot, fans also called for familiar faces to return. One said: "If I'm not seeing majority of the original cast I don't want it honey!" Another wrote: "I don't see any of the original cast returning since their characters have all moved on, tho I do hope Jane Lynch returns! Without her the show wouldn't be the same I fear."
Deadline reported that Murphy had been in contact with "around ten of the original cast members", although no casting was confirmed as part of the series order. The reboot comes from 20th Television, which produced the original series. No release date has been announced.
Original Series History
Glee originally ran for six seasons on Fox, following a show choir at the fictional William McKinley High School in Ohio. Its cast included Rivera, Lynch, Lea Michele, Chris Colfer, Amber Riley, Cory Monteith and Darren Criss.
Cory Monteith, who portrayed Finn Hudson, tragically died from an accidental overdose aged 31 in July 2013. At the time, the coroner said there was no evidence to suggest his death was "anything other than a most tragic accident".
Monteith's girlfriend at the time Lea Michele, who starred alongside him in Glee, said at the time she was "deeply grateful for all the love and support she's received from family, friends, and fans". The statement, given to People magazine, said she had been "grieving alongside his family" and "they are supporting each other as they endure this profound loss together".
The original Glee series is available to stream on Disney+.
