A 'Glee' Reboot? What This Means & What We Know
Every Glee (2009) fan felt a chill of excitement and trepidation run down their spine recently. The show’s official social media accounts shared a post that read “Currently Gleeking out” with a graphic that confirmed that the musical teen dramedy would be returning. This news isn’t all that shocking to those who have been paying attention to the headlines. Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy has been teasing this fast-paced development on his press tours for other shows—The Shards (2026) and American Horror Story: 13 (2013)—over the last few months.
In September, Murphy told Entertainment Tonight that he already penned the script for the revival with Glee’s co-creators Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan. Murphy also expressed the cast’s excitement about returning. But there was no confirmation about, well, anything, including clarification about which original cast members would be returning or in what capacity. There wasn’t even a tease of what the new version of the show could or would be about. Just a month later, things are moving much faster.
Everything We Know About the 'Glee' Reboot
The truth is there isn’t much known about the reboot other than it’s happening, which, honestly, is a lot on its own. The show got a series order at Disney+ and Hulu, and it will be produced by the original production company, 20th Television. Other than that, there have been no official details released about what this new season will entail. There’s no definitive creative team or even an episode order attached. Since it’s on a streamer instead of its usual network home, I wouldn’t be shocked if it is a shorter season. But a six- or eight-episode season just doesn’t seem right. Part of Glee’s delightful chaos comes from its 22-episode seasons.
Also, since there are rumblings about original cast members returning, it is safe to bet that this is more of a revival than a reboot. It’s continuing the narrative that Glee started in 2009 and (tentatively) ended in 2015. It’s not starting something new—that we know of. But all of that can change when plot details are finally revealed.
For now, Glee fans, myself included, will have to cling to reports and vague posts on social media to discover who is coming back to the show. For example, Variety exclusively reported that Lea Michele will reprise her role as Rachel Berry. Meanwhile, Chord Overstreet, who joined the show as Sam Evans in Season 2, seemed to hint at his return with a post on X, and Heather Morris, who played cheerleader, dancer, and math genius Brittany Pierce, made an Instagram post seemingly confirming her return.
What Does a 'Glee' Reboot Mean for the Characters?
Morris’ reported return as Brittany adds to the many questions (Is Sam still the Director of the New Directions?) fans will have. The original show ended with Brittany and Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera) happily married. Rivera sadly passed away in 2020. It’s incredibly difficult to imagine a version of this show without Rivera, let alone Santana and Brittany’s important relationship. I have to hope that, in the absence of Rivera, Glee won’t ruin the happy ending Santana and Brittany got. I want to hope that’s true for all of the characters. I know the show coming back has to mean that there is some change or drama for at least some of them.
I don’t know what that will be. Maybe the only people who do in all of its entirety right now are Murphy, Falchuk, and Brennan. Because of that, I want to focus more on what’s exciting about this reboot than what may be its less appealing elements. I’m already thinking of all the songs I want to hear covered. May the “They sang that better on Glee” bit never end! Olivia Rodrigo’s “deja vu” feels like a given. What if there’s an entire episode dedicated to her music? The idea of Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Blaine (Darren Criss) singing another duet is thrilling, especially after Colfer and Chris reunited on stage to sing “Baby It’s Cold Outside” recently.
Ultimately, it’s not every day that a show you love—that became a pillar in pop culture—gets to come back for another run. It’s also not always certain that so many original cast members want to return and reprise defining roles they haven’t played in a decade. There is something special about Glee, and even though this reboot isn’t necessary, I hope that, whatever this reboot is, it remembers and captures that essence that made us all fall in love with it 17 years ago.
