The Scream franchise may soon score another big-name return if Sarah Michelle Gellar has her way. Gellar has been busy in the first half of 2025, triggering a collective explosion among millennial horror fans after confirming her involvement in an upcoming Buffy the Vampire Slayer revival. While Gellar will always be best known for slaying vampires, her horror repertoire extends to the big screen also, as 1997’s Scream 2 cast the Buffy the Vampire Slayer star as Cici Cooper, an early victim of the Scream franchise’s Ghostface killer.

Not deterred by her relatively minor role or, indeed, the death of her character, Sarah Michelle Gellar has declared herself open to a Scream return. Speaking with ET, Gellar claimed:

“I tried to get in Scream. Nobody wanted me… They were bringing everybody back. I kept thinking I would get a call; I didn’t get a call… There’s a lot of people who died in all the Scream movies that are back… I’m just saying, I’m waiting for my call.”

What Sarah Michelle Gellar Wanting A Scream Return Means For The Franchise

Another Legend Scream Can Add To The List?

For one thing, Sarah Michelle Gellar’s wish for a Scream comeback rules out any prospect of her making a cameo in the upcoming Scream 7. That should perhaps not come as a huge surprise, given the fate of her character back in Scream 2. Having said that, the actor’s enthusiasm to bring Cici Cooper back to the big screen must surely mean she won’t be waiting for her call much longer. After the series’ original plan was upended by the controversial departures of Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega from Scream 7, the 2026 installment has ᴀssembled a raft of familiar faces, from Neve Campbell and Courtney Cox to David Arquette and Matthew Lillard.

The proposition of landing an undisputed legend of horror TV in Sarah Michelle Gellar would be an attractive one under any circumstances, but especially with Scream‘s current focus on nostalgia and returning icons. Naturally, if Cici did ever return for a future Scream movie, one would expect her to be afforded a more sizable role. Scream 2 premiered the same year as Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 1 aired, meaning Gellar’s star potential was only just beginning to blossom. Here in the 2020s, Scream has the chance to do something bigger and better with Cici Cooper.

Our Take On Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Potential Scream Return

Did Cici Cooper Actually Survive Scream 2?

Sarah Michelle Gellar spent years fielding questions about a possible Buffy the Vampire Slayer return, so it’s interesting that she discusses a Scream reprisal without any real prompting. Certainly, there appears to be a genuine enthusiasm – from Gellar’s side, at least – to return to the ever-growing Scream sandpit.

The big obstacle, of course, is navigating around Cici’s untimely demise. Gellar’s character died in a relatively unambiguous fashion, receiving several stab wounds before being tossed from a balcony. While there may be a vague possibility that Cici stood up, dusted herself off, then covered up her survival, retconning those events to reveal Cici somehow survived might be a stretch too far, even for Scream.

On the other hand, Gellar is absolutely right about modern Scream movies finding inventive ways to resurrect ᴅᴇᴀᴅ characters. Skeet Ulrich’s Billy Loomis manifested as a vision, while Matthew Lillard’s Stu Macher appeared to get an unambiguous death in the original Scream – albeit perhaps not as clear-cut as Cici’s – and he will be returning in Scream 7, living or ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, via some unknown means. Clearly, the Scream franchise cannot use death as an excuse to keep Sarah Michelle Gellar waiting for her call.

Sources: ET