Masters of the Universe: Revelation’s Kevin Smith Explains Why Sarah Michelle Gellar Is the Perfect Teela

The beloved characters have returned to TV with the arrival of Masters of the Universe: Revelation, the new animated series that debuted on Netflix Friday morning. Kevin Smith‘s take on the iconic property bridges the gap between old and new fans, telling a fresh story that’s packed with plenty of nostalgia for those that have loved He-Man cartoons for years. And of course, a major part of Revelation‘s appeal is the all-star voice cast that was assembled for the series, led by none other than Buffy the Vampire Slayer herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Gellar stars in Revelation as Teela, who takes center-stage for a major part of the story. She fuels the entire engine of the series. When we talked to Smith ahead of the show’s premiere, he explained that not only was Gellar the perfect fit for Teela, she was the name at the top of every producer’s wishlist. (Warning: spoilers for the premiere of Masters of the Universe: Revelation ahead.)

“It was a unanimous decision while we were in the room. It was me, Rob David at Mattel Television, and Ted Biaselli, who’s our exec at Netflix, and those were the godfathers of the project,” Smith explained. “We were like, ‘Okay, Teela.’ And instantly, out of their mouths at the same time, Rob and Teddy were like, ‘Sarah Michell Gellar.’ I was like, ‘Oh my God, what a great idea! Buffy as Teela?!’ They were huge Buffy kids growing up and they love the show still to this day. So boom, Sarah made the list.”

Smith went on to say that he was worried they may not be able to get Gellar for the show. She’s such a big star and, unlike Chris Wood, she had never worked with Smith before. Fortunately for Smith (and the rest of us), Gellar was more than happy to answer the call.

“Chris I thought I could get because I’m friends with him. Sarah, I don’t know if she’s gonna say yes or not, I’ve never worked with her. Who knows if she even likes it,” Smith continued. “It was a blessing that she said yes because Teela is one of our main characters, if not our main character, the fulcrum on which our story functions. So you need somebody who knows how to carry a damn show and Sarah certainly knows how to do that, but also has all these different shades to play. Teela has to become something of a hard-hearted person for a good section of the show, because she finds out that her best friend has been lying to her her whole life, flat out to her face. And then he died and she didn’t even get any closure with that. So she’s got a bit of a hard heart bu she also has moments, as we see Man-At-Arms, where she’s softened. Sarah could do that in her sleep. Mercifully, she didn’t sleep through this. When she came in she gave this full performance. “

It only takes a few minutes of watching Revelation to understand what Smith was talking about. Gellar’s performance is wonderful, as she breathes new life into Teela and anchors a whole new generation of Masters of the Universe storytelling.

You can watch the full interview with Kevin Smith at the top of the page.

Masters of the Universe: Revelation is now streaming on Netflix