Faith The Vampire Slayer: Why Eliza Dushku’s Buffy Spin Off Was Never Made

Buffy the Vampire Slayer may have been the titular character, but it was the introduction of her fellow Slayer, Faith, that really shook things up in the Buffyverse. Played by Eliza Dushku, Faith was a complex and troubled character who quickly became a fan favorite. Her journey from rogue Slayer to reformed ally was a compelling arc that left many fans wanting more. 

In the early 2000s, plans were announced for a Faith-centric spin-off called "Faith the Vampire Slayer," which would have explored her adventures as she fought evil and tried to find her place in the world. The show promised to dive deeper into Faith's troubled past and complex psyche, giving fans even more of what they loved about the character. Unfortunately, the series never made it to air, leaving fans to wonder what could have been. 

Here we're exploring the proposed Buffy spin-off, examining why it never came to fruition, and what we might have seen if Faith had been given her own series.

Tim Minear was behind an idea for a Buffy spinoff in 2003 featuring Eliza Dushku as the popular antihero slayer Faith named Faith The Vampire Slayer. Instead, Eliza Dushku would go on to star as the main character in the series Tru Calling. 

Take a look at the other Buffy The Vampire Slayer Spin Offs that were never made here.

Why did Eliza Dushku not want to be involved with Faith The Vampire Slayer?

When IGN asked Eliza Dushku about the Buffy spinoff Faith The Vampire Slayer, she said, "The idea for the Faith spin-off just kind of came up in discussion because everyone really, I think, was feeling like this show's going to end and there are all these fans who love it so much and who love these characters and so, if possible, how could we extend that?" 

"I just personally felt like... It would have been a really hard thing to do, and not that I wouldn't have been up for a challenge, but with it coming on immediately following the show, I think that those would have been really big boots to fill. I think it would have been compared to Buffy. And just in terms of me, I've played that character on and off for five years now and I've changed a lot and while the character of Faith changed when I came back because I've changed, I felt like maybe it was time to... I mean, I love Faith. She's my girl and she's been really good to me, but I kind of just wanted to try something else."

"Purely that, because it had nothing to do with me not trusting Joss and his team of writers, who I just think are amazing. Tim Minear and Drew Goddard, and Marti Noxon and all these people, they're so talented and it had nothing to do with me doubting that they could make this show amazing, but I just... I don't know, sometimes you have to go with your gut, and my gut was telling me that I maybe needed to try something else that was just different.
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Eliza Dushku Chose Tru Calling

Tru Calling was a short-lived supernatural TV drama that originally aired from 2003 to 2005. The show follows the life of Tru Davies, a young woman who works in a morgue. Tru discovers that she has the ability to go back in time for one day and relive it to save the life of a person who has died. This power is triggered when a deceased person asks for her help. Eliza Dushku was in the lead and supported by Shawn Reeves, A.J. Cook, Jason Priestley and Zach Galifianakis.

Tru Calling producer Dawn Parouse admitted uncertainty during the show's development about whether Eliza Dushku would choose it over the proposed Faith spinoff, she stated in interviews that, "We weren't quite sure if we were going to get [Eliza], because there were rumours that there was going to be a Buffy spinoff for her."


What was Faith The Vampire Slayer going to be about?

Writer and director Tim Minear explained some of the details about the proposed Buffy spinoff and reasons why Faith The Vampire Slayer did not happen in an interview:

"I had come up with a pitch. Eliza was gracious, kind and wonderful, but she felt like she wanted to do something new. There is no hard feelings there. But the show was basically going to be Faith meets Kung Fu. It would have been Faith, probably on a motorcycle, crossing the earth, trying to find her place in the world. I'm sure it would get an arc at some point, but the idea of her rooted somewhere seemed wrong to me. The idea of her constantly on the move seemed right to me. And she broke out of prison (on Angel) so there would have been some people after her."


What happened to Faith Lehane after Buffy The Vampire Slayer?

Some ideas intended for the Faith The Vampire Slayer spin-off were later used in part by Brian K. Vaughan for the "No Future for You" arc in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight comics.

A year and a half after the destruction of Sunnydale, Faith remained in touch with Robin who led a squad of new Slayers in Cleveland, calling on Faith to perform slayings that would be considered disturbing. In the time that had passed after Sunnydale's destruction, Faith apparently began to grow tired of the life of a Slayer, attempting to purchase a forged passport on two separate occasions. Giles, also a member of Slayer Organization, approached Faith and struck up a deal: if she would assassinate Lady Genevieve Savidge, a rogue Slayer who had been killing other Slayers and could potentially bring about the apocalypse, Giles would arrange for Faith to relocate permanently to any country of her choosing, with the promise of never having to resume Slayer duties.

The potential Buffy spin-off centered around Eliza Dushku's character Faith, the Vampire Slayer, was a project that had a lot of potential, but ultimately never made it to fruition. Despite initial interest from fans and network executives, the project faced several obstacles, including Dushku's busy schedule and creative differences between the show's creators and network executives. While fans may be disappointed that they never got to see more of Faith's story, her character remains a fan favourite and has left a lasting impact on the Buffyverse. As for Dushku, she has continued to find success in her acting career and remains beloved by fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and beyond. While a Faith spin-off may never happen, the legacy of the character and the Buffyverse as a whole continues to captivate and inspire viewers decades after the show first aired.

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