Get to Know Ryan Kiera Armstrong, the Newest Buffy Spin-Off Slayer, With These Shows and Films

We've been buzzing ever since we heard the news earlier this year that Buffy the Vampire Slayer would officially be getting a reboot, and that excitement just got even more real, because the upcoming series has found its newest Slayer.

Buffy Summers herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar, recently posted a video on Instagram of a video chat with 15-year-old actress Ryan Kiera Armstrong as she revealed that young Ryan would soon be joining her in taking down the many vampires, demons and forces of darkness.

"How do you feel about helping me save the world?" she asks Ryan in the video. "Do you want to be my Chosen One? Will you stand by my side and save the world?"

Ryan's response was full of happy tears, and though the Hulu series hasn't yet started filming, we're eagerly looking forward to its release and seeing what it's like to have an actual teenage Slayer in the leading role. Until then, there's plenty of time to get caught up with Ryan's filmography—including roles in the Star Wars and Marvel universes and two Stephen King adaptations—and we have suggestions on where to get started below.

 

Anne With an E (2017–2019)

If you want to go way back with Ryan Kiera Armstrong, we think you should start with one of her earliest and longest-running roles yet, Minnie May Barry in Anne With an E. The series is an adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, following an orphan named Anne Shirley who seeks acceptance and understanding as she grows up in Avonlea, Canada, in the late 1800s. Minnie May, the younger sister of Anne's friend, Diana, appeared in 16 episodes across the show's three seasons. When Minnie May falls ill, Anne saves her life earning her some respect amongst the townspeople.

(Anne with an E via CBC Television)

 

It Chapter Two (2019)

Ryan wasn't even 10 when she appeared in It Chapter Two, the second part of an adaptation of Stephen King's terrifying killer clown novel, demonstrating her penchant for horror early on. Spoiler alert—Ryan played the role of a young girl named Victoria Fuller, who quickly becomes one of the evil Pennywise's victims. He lures her from her family with the beauty of a firefly before gaining her sympathy, crying about having no friends due to his looks. She relates, as she has dealt with bullying due to the birthmark on her face, and when he tells her he can remove her birthmark, her takes her life, instead.

(It Chapter Two via Warner Bros. Pictures)

 

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Black Widow (2021)

Ryan has a blink-and-you'll-miss-it role in 2021's Black Widow, but her character remains quite important nonetheless. In the film, she appears as the young Antonia Dreykov. Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, believes she killed Antonia when she was a child in an assassination attempt on her father, leader of the Red Room Academy. Instead, the attack leaves her badly burned and in horrible pain, so her father installs a chip in her brain to control her feelings—and soon, her consciousness. Before long, he puts his own daughter through the Red Room, and she grows up to become his most trusted assassin, Taskmaster (played by Olga Kurylenko as an adult).

(Black Widow via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

 

American Horror Story: Red Tide (2021)

In another great spooky role, Ryan appeared in all six episodes of American Horror Story: Red Tide. She played Alma Gardner, a child prodigy and violinist whose philosophical wisdom goes well beyond her years, often to the point of disturbing her parents. Of course, that's only the tip of the iceberg of the disturbing lengths the bloodthirsty little girl is willing to go to get her way.

(American Horror Story via FX)

 

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Firestarter (2022)

After proving her chops in It, Ryan was brought back to star in another Stephen King adaptation, this time of the 1980 novel, Firestarter. Ryan played the role of Charlie McGee—the titular firestarter—a troubled young girl with pyrokinetic powers that become more difficult to control when she's upset. When the government decides to exterminate Charlie, fearful of her growing abilities, Charlie and her father are forced to flee for their lives, leaving plenty of destruction and terror in their wake.

(Firestarter via Universal Pictures)

 

Skeleton Crew (2024–2025)

And finally, there's Ryan's recent and quite high-profile role as Fern in the new Star Wars limited series, Skeleton Crew. Fern is a studious yet rebellious girl from the planet At Attin who, along with her best friend KB (played by Kyriana Kratter) and new pals Wim and Neel, is accidentally sent into deep space after finding a ship buried in the woods. Stuck in space, it's up to these kids to put their heads together, going on an epic quest to find their way back home.

(Skeleton Crew via Disney+)

 

For even more on all things Buffy, click HERE to find out which character from the original series you are, based on your zodiac sign.