‘Glee’ Reboot: Who’s Coming Back? Will Rachel Sing Olivia Rodrigo? How MAGA Is Sue? And More Fan Questions

Depending on which characters end up returning, there are two semi-obvious (and somewhat non-forced) routes the “Glee” reboot can take. The show ended 11 years ago, so it would totally make sense to center new episodes around William McKinley High School throwing a 10-year reunion that brings back a ton of the original cast. High school culture has changed dramatically in the last decade, so perhaps the reboot finds the original glee club feeling like fish out of water as they contend with rapidly different teenage norms as they meet the school’s current glee club and show them the ropes.

If only a select number of characters are returning, however, then perhaps the “Glee” reboot centers on Mr. Schue retiring from William McKinley High School. The show ended with Mr. Shue as principal and Sam heading the glee club. Perhaps Mr. Schue’s retirement leads to Sam becoming principal, thus opening the door for (let’s say) Rachel, Kurt and Mercedes to battle it out to be his replacement after their own music careers have sputtered. In this version, you could still have cameos from many original cast members and you’d still meet the new teens who make up the current glee club. The latter point might end up being the biggest no-brainer for the reboot. Whatever the story is, there’s got to be a teenage ensemble/new glee club ready to pick up the mantle and keep the reboot going (and the music sales pumping) for a few years to come.

But to go off the rails a bit, what if “Glee” returns to a Season 1 storyline? It would be delicious to catch up with Beth, the daughter Quinn and Puck gave up for adoption. Since Beth ended up being raised by Shelby (guest star Idina Menzel), who was not only the coach of McKinley’s rival glee club but also Rachel’s biological mother, the stakes would be high if the reboot follows her show choir journey as she deals with her complex family tree. After all, she should be about 16 years old now…

A lot can happen in a decade – and it’s likely that not all our beloved Gleeks will be returning to William McKinley High’s dingy halls. But it seems that Lea Michele wouldn’t miss this opportunity for the world, especially since reviving her career from bullying allegations with rave reviews in “Funny Girl” (just as Rachel Berry would do). Though Disney hasn’t officially confirmed it, Variety has learned from multiple sources that Michele’s return is already guaranteed. Additionally, Heather Morris and Chord Overstreet, who play Brittany Pierce and Sam Evans, have made social media posts that seem to indicate they’ll be back as well.

For everyone else’s fate, here are our best educated guesses.

Naturally, Jonathan Groff will make a cameo as Jesse St. James, as he is Michele’s real-life bestie. Darren Criss is probably another sure get, given that he still performs much of Blaine Anderson’s “Glee” material live. Chris Colfer, who played Blaine’s beau Kurt Hummel, said two weeks ago that he’d “heard nothing” about a potential reboot — but then, over the weekend, Colfer and Criss reunited to sing the “Glee” version of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” in London. Coincidence? We think not. Though Colfer has kept quite a low profile since the series, finding success as a bestselling children’s book author instead of pursuing showbiz, now could be the time for him to shimmy back into the spotlight.

Elsewhere, Harry Shum Jr. (who played Mike Chang), seems to be a lock as he is currently enjoying a renaissance tearing up the dance floor on “Dancing With the Stars” — another Disney-produced show, and perhaps an intentional tie-in. And Matthew Morrison, who has become a TikTok meme with his hilariously earnest cameos, would probably love nothing more than to reprise Mr. Schue.

We’d say the same of Jane Lynch, though it may depend on the direction of her character – is the political incorrectness of Sue Sylvester too much for these dark times? (More on that later.)

Speaking of which, Kevin McHale has previously expressed hesitancy to reprise his role of Artie Abrams as he “shouldn’t be playing a character in a wheelchair.” However, as news of a reboot began bubbling up in recent weeks, McHale has appeared more open, telling People: “I could never say no to that.”

What about Dianna Agron, who played pregnant and slightly evil cheerleader Quinn Fabray? While she hasn’t been very present on TV since “Glee,” Agron is making her return on HBO’s upcoming final season of “Industry.” It again may come down to character direction, as we could see Agron wanting to leave Quinn in the past in favor of more mature roles — and there were rumors back in the day of a feud between her and series creator Murphy.

Also more uncertain are Amber Riley (Mercedes Jones) and Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina Cohen-Chang). Riley has also kept fairly out of the spotlight and hasn’t publicly spoken about a potential reboot (though we would love to hear her voice again, trust). Ushkowitz still attends “Glee” conventions and speaks about her time on the series, so she seems more likely.

If we could get inside that writers’ room (or Ryan Murphy’s head)…

We imagine Rachel Berry as a washed-up Broadway star who, after a series of scandals, heads back to Ohio in an effort to remember her roots. Jesse St. James left her in the dust at her lowest and cheated on her with his much younger co-star.

Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson are happily married with three kids (their oldest was carried by Rachel, who they see as an aunt). They run a LBGTQ+ arts nonprofit in New York City and also have a home upstate in Hudson.

Will Schuester is still the principal at McKinley High, but after a decade of being in charge, the job has hardened him. He barely sings anymore and is pretty miserable.

Sue Sylvester was a close-second to be the Republican candidate for the 2024 election, but lost out to Trump. Now, she’s his chief of staff. The two have been having a hate-fueled affair for years.

Quinn Fabray is a high-powered lawyer living in L.A. with her husband and two young kids. She hasn’t been back to Ohio in 10 years.

Mercedes Jones has achieved EGOT status and is besties with Beyoncé. Whenever her tours stop in Ohio, she visits McKinley High School and has never forgotten where she came from.

Tina Cohen-Chang is a respected theater actress in New York, where she runs her own improv group. She’s rekindled things with Mike Chang, who is now a Broadway choreographer, after they worked on a show together.

Brittany Pierce is a math teacher and cheer coach at McKinley. She’s a devoted mother to her and Santana’s two daughters, who are of course, Cheerios.

Sam Evans is still coaching New Directions at McKinley High, having led them to 10 consecutive state championships. But he’s at a crossroads after finally being offered a record deal of his own in Nashville.

And when it comes to Artie Abrams… where do we begin? He probably sold out and directed a few Marvel movies that flopped — or maybe they were DC movies, since Disney likely wouldn’t be happy with Murphy for making fun of its most popular franchise. Artie and Tina didn’t work out, but he’s trying to win her back by directing a movie musical inspired by their time in Glee club.

As we mentioned above, McHale has said before that he shouldn’t be playing a disabled character. He’s right, but is that really the problem? The simple fact of McHale’s casting was far less problematic than the fact that he once rolled himself straight into a swimming pool for a split-second gag during the glee club’s cover of Rihanna’s “We Found Love.” It would be even more offensive to pretend Artie’s spinal cord injury could be magically healed, allowing Abrams to play him as able-bodied… but it would be very “Glee.”

Jane Lynch said it herself in a 2022 interview with the Guardian: Sue Sylvester “would be MAGA” should “Glee” ever return. After all, the hugely problematic, tracksuit-loving cheerleading coach ended the show in the White House as the Republican Vice President of the United States with plans to run for the top job. “Glee” wrapped up about a year before Donald Trump took office, so perhaps part of the reboot will dive head first into how Sue’s political goals and the Trump administration merged into one toxic whole. Maybe Sue went head to head against Trump in an election? Just imagine that presidential debate for a second. Or maybe Sue is a member of the Trump administration and the only thing that can force her to rebuke her MAGA ways is the power of a good song. Yes, Sue embraced the Glee club (even as a Republican) come the end of the show, but something tells us right-wing Facebook groups would’ve swallowed her whole during the rise of Trump and send her right back to her sexist, homophobic roots.

In the same Guardian interview, Lynch said: “I think there would have been people out there who would have wanted to cancel Sue Sylvester” if the show was airing today. If Lynch is in fact returning to her Emmy-winning role for the reboot, then fans can probably expect MAGA Sue confronting 2026 “woke” culture to be a defining subplot.

In the decade since “Glee” left the air, musings about which current pop hits would have been used on “Glee” have practically become their own subgenre of social media post. When “This Is America” dropped in 2018, X (then still called Twitter) was full of posts thanking God that Artie Abrams wasn’t around to rap Childish Gambino’s bars; the gleeks of West Hollywood have mourned that Kurt Hummel never got to hear Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club”; et cetera. Now that the reboot is official, everything’s on the table.

Olivia Rodrigo would be the most obvious artist to include in the lineup of new “Glee” music. Her pop-punk flair is right up the glee club’s alley, and she even referenced the show in the lyrics of her 2021 single “Deja Vu.” “Drivers License” would be an on-the-nose pick for one of the new high schoolers, while “Stupid Song” is very Rachel Berry. And can’t you see Brittany and Mike doing backflips to a full-cast cover of “Expectations”?

Plus, Rodrigo is already friendly with Disney, having launched her career on “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.” The same is true of Sabrina Carpenter, who got her start on “Girl Meets World,” and we can totally see Kurt and Blaine working through a trivial lover’s spat with a sunny rendition of “Manchild.”

From “Wicked” to “Funny Girl” to “Rent,” “Glee” covered its fair share of showtunes in its day, but it ended too early to see the rise of “Hamilton.” Rachel, obsessed with Broadway, surely would have pined over the role of Angelica Schuyler and sung “Satisfied” if she could have — and especially since Disney is already home to the filmed version of the musical, that now seems likely. Perhaps an entire Lin-Manuel Miranda-themed episode to appease to the musical theater nerds? We’re cringing, but we can’t wait.

Mercedes was a Beyoncé devotee from the beginning of “Glee” to the end, when she was picked to be the icon’s opening act on tour. Between “Lemonade,” “Renaissance” and “Cowboy Carter,” there’s an embarrassment of riches to choose from. We’d love to see her get a meaty romantic plotline that peaks with a cover of “Heated,” complete with vogueing glee club members in the background.

And yes, “Pink Pony Club” should absolutely be a Kurt solo. At the same time, it would be the most “Glee” move in the world for Rachel to fight him over it à la “Defying Gravity” in Season 1.

Three of the “Glee” cast members have passed away: Cory Monteith in 2013, Mark Salling in 2018 and Naya Rivera in 2020.

Monteith died from an overdose while the original “Glee” was still on the air, so he already got a substantial tribute: The Season 5 episode “The Quarterback” showed all of the glee club members who had graduated returning to Ohio to mourn together, including moving covers of songs like “Seasons of Love.” Out of sensitivity, there was no cause of death specified for Monteith’s character, Finn, but the episode concluded with a PSA encouraging viewers to seek help for mental health and substance abuse issues. Overall, it was handled with sensitivity and care. And since the “Glee” reboot will be full of nostalgia, and we can be sure that Rachel and other characters will reference fond (and funny) memories of Finn when they reunite.

Rivera played the bitchy-yet-lovable cheerleader Santana, a fan-favorite character who was widely mourned when Rivera died in a drowning accident. Many fans returned to her heartbreaking (and now eerie) cover of “If I Die Young” from Monteith’s tribute episode after she died. Santana’s girlfriend (and later wife) Brittany, played by Heather Morris, may think back to that moment as well. And some of the most popular “Glee” covers ever were sung by Santana and Mercedes, so perhaps Amber Riley will dedicate a song to her departed friend.

Salling’s death is where things get complicated. Unlike Monteith and Rivera, whose deaths led to celebrations of their legacies, Salling was mired in controversy: He was arrested for possession of child pornography months after “Glee” ended, pleaded guilty in 2017 and died by suicide a year later. But his character, the secretly sensitive bad boy Puck, was one of the most important characters on the show. So how does “Glee” forward? While we’re thrilled about the reboot, the problem of Puck is one aspect we’re truly dreading.

The sensible option would to include a brief, throwaway line about Puck being dead or somewhere far away while catching up with one of the other characters — perhaps Puck’s half-brother Jake, played by Jacob Artist. But, outside of the Monteith tribute, when has “Glee” ever been sensible?

As crazy as “Glee” was, it still had to abide by the strict guidelines imposed on network television. Airing on Fox meant there was a limit on the adult language, imagery and themes Murphy and his collaborators could show.

But since “Glee” is heading straight to Hulu and Disney+, all bets are off. The characters will be allowed to use any curse words they’d like, and the floor is open for more graphic sex scenes. Mr. Schue’s rendition of “The Thong Song” was already horrifying on broadcast. Can you imagine how far he might have taken it on streaming? We don’t even want to think about how the Season 5 cover of “Blurred Lines” — in which the glee club protests a school-wide ban on twerking — might have looked without the looming threat of FCC regulations.

“Glee” was never very violent, but it might have gone further in that direction on streaming. Take the infamous school shooting episode in Season 4, for example, which was already completely unhinged without anyone getting hurt. With the original “Glee” cast now in their 30s and dealing with real adult problems, there’s a whole new world of darkness the show might now begin to explore.