Sarah Michelle Gellar was television's most beloved vampire slayer in her titular role in Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but she almost turned zombie hunter by nearly landing the role of Alice in the Resident Evil movie franchise.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer was on television from 1997-2003, spanning seven seasons in total. Gellar was a major part of all seven seasons, as the title character, and ferociously slayed vampires and hearts on the small screen, earning her place as a pop culture phenomenon. Paul W.S. Anderson's Resident Evil franchise didn't debut until 2002, when Gellar was nearly at the end of her tenure as Buffy, which might have been why the actress was considered for the role of Alice. Alice, which ended up being played by Milla Jovovich throughout all six films, was a deviation from the popular horror games, but grew to be loved by fans of the franchise for her excellent portrayal of the franchise's heroine.
Many actors in Resident Evil were considered for roles, which could have led to a much different outcome in an alternate universe way, but Gellar being considered for the role of Alice wasn't a stretch by any means.
Zombies and vampires are two completely different villain archetypes and require different skill sets - in a way - to combat them. As seen through various different post-apocalyptic set shows that feature zombie threats, such as The Walking Dead, you don't exactly have to be a superhero to take them on. However, zombies in Resident Evil are different. As they are a direct result of experimentations done by the insidious Umbrella Corporation, they can take many forms that go far beyond the traditional zombie stereotypes. Someone like Buffy - or in this case, Alice - would have a distinct upper hand.
While taking the role would have caused some overlap with the final season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it's likely Gellar could have taken on the role if the stars had aligned in such a way. However, Jovovich brought a different kind of aloof intensity, unwavering ferocity, and video-game heroine adjacent - which was probably the point - attitude to the franchise that was a far cry from Buffy's skills which were accentuated by, and strengthened by, the presence of her friends. Gellar's portrayal of Buffy held the genuine kindness of the girl-next-door coupled with a lovable warmth that bordered on maternal. While, as a skilled actress, she could have embodied the character and played it differently, there was likely enough overlap that fans of both would have seen the similarities and be unable to suspend disbelief that their Slayer was suddenly someone else.
Perhaps this is partially why it didn't come to be, along with the fact that Jovovich ended up entering into a relationship with Anderson during their time working together which led to the two of them marrying in 2009. While Alice was always meant to be the franchise lead, she became even more prominently so and turned into a grand, central focus of the movies even when they added characters from the games and tried to branch out into inclusion of the existing lore. Resident Evil is so iconic now that it's hard to imagine Buffy the Vampire Slayer's lead actress in the role, but it's an interesting thought all the same.
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