After the tragic passing of Michelle Trachtenberg earlier this year, fans have been wondering how the long-awaited and highly-anticipated Buffy the Vampire Slayer sequel series would handle the absence of her character, Dawn. We finally have a bit of an idea after Gellar sat down with her former Buffy co-star, Alyson Hannigan, to chat with Parade about the Ask2BSure campaign. Acknowledging that the series will — in one way or another — pay homage to the late actress who appeared as Gellar’s on-screen sister, the Dexter: Original Sin star said, “Yeah, we’ll do something. We’ll do what’s appropriate.” Backing Gellar’s response, Hannigan added, “I’m sure they’ll handle it with utter grace.”

Trachtenberg, who was a member of the original show’s cast during its final three seasons, sadly passed away back in February at the incredibly young age of 39. In the days that followed, numerous members of the cast shared their condolences for the star’s family and loved ones, reminiscing about the times they spent together while on the set of the beloved series. Trachtenberg’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer arrival was one of the biggest shocks of the show’s seven-season run, when — at the very beginning of the fifth season — it was revealed that Buffy (Gellar) had a younger sister named Dawn (Trachtenberg). The character would then play a pivotal role in the next few seasons before the title bowed out in 2003.

In addition to her run on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Trachtenberg was also known for her work in a slew of other projects, including features like Harriet the Spy, Ice Princess and 17 Again, as well as television productions such as Gossip Girl and Mercy.

What We Know So Far About the ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Sequel Series

A follow-up set of episodes is something that Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans have been long asking for in the more than two decades since the series finale aired. Finally, all the puzzle pieces seemed to fall into place, with Gellar announcing her involvement in the production earlier this year. The actress has long held off on attaching herself to any sort of further Buffy story, so we have a good feeling that this one will live up to the already building hype.

For now, we know that Gellar’s Buffy will act more as a mentor than the leading lady, while Star Wars: Skeleton Crew alum, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, was recently revealed to be the next slayer. Though no other cast members have been announced at this time, we’re certainly hoping that some familiar faces will make their way back to the supernatural universe of Buffy.

via Collider