Variety says Lea Michele is back as Rachel Berry for the Glee reboot at Disney+ and Hulu, while Deadline and TheWrap say she’s in talks. Here’s what’s new and who else might return.
Rachel Berry may be getting her gold star back.
When we covered the Glee reboot’s series order on Wednesday, Oct. 21, no one from the original cast was confirmed. Less than an hour after we posted, Variety reported that Lea Michele is returning as Rachel Berry.
Deadline and TheWrap followed that afternoon with a softer version: Michele is in talks to return. Disney, 20th Television and Michele haven’t confirmed anything on the record.
Is Lea Michele officially back for the Glee reboot?
Disney hasn’t announced it yet. Variety said Michele “is returning to the role that launched her career” in the Disney+ and Hulu reboot. The outlet said it “confirmed the news with multiple sources.”
“She’s in,” one source told Variety. Another said, “It’s still early-ish days, but it feels good and we’re happy to get the band back together.”
Deadline was more careful. It said Michele “is in talks to reprise the role,” citing sources.
TheWrap also said she’s in talks. She “would be the first of the original ‘Glee’ cast to formally be attached,” TheWrap noted.
Reps for Michele and Ryan Murphy didn’t comment to Variety. Representatives for Disney and Michele declined to comment to TheWrap.
What has Lea Michele said about Glee?
Michele hasn’t said anything on the record since the reports came out. Back in September, before the series order, she sounded ready.
“I love ‘Glee.’ I will always love ‘Glee.’ I love Ryan Murphy,” she told E! News, as quoted by Variety. “It just holds such a special place in my heart for me... I will follow Ryan wherever he goes.”
She’s been busy on stage lately. Deadline says she recently wrapped her starring role as Florence Vassy in the Broadway revival of Chess. She also had a guest role on CBS’ Elsbeth.
Glee made her a star. Michele was nominated for an Emmy and two Golden Globes for playing Rachel, Variety noted, and she later starred as Fanny Brice in Broadway’s Funny Girl revival.
Which other Glee stars might return?
A couple of former New Directions members dropped hints on social media the same day.
Heather Morris (Brittany S. Pierce): She posted on Instagram that Brittany “is alive and well ... and back for more,” TheWrap reported, and Variety said the post seemed to confirm her return.
Chord Overstreet (Sam Evans): He posted on X, “Reunited and it feels so good!”
Neither one has an announced deal.
Harry Shum Jr. (Mike Chang) sounds interested, too.
He told Entertainment Weekly, “You know what? I love those two franchises,” talking about Glee and Crazy Rich Asians, PinkNews reported Thursday, Oct. 29. He added that he “would love to keep continuing.”
Shum is currently competing on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, according to PinkNews. So you can catch him on ABC while you wait.
Chris Colfer (Kurt Hummel) hasn’t committed. He told Bustle this month it would be hard to do the show without Naya Rivera. He also joked that fans “would probably come after me with pitchforks and jazz hands if I said no,” as quoted by Deadline.
Ryan Murphy said in September that he’s been in touch with “around 10 of the original cast members.” They “were very enthusiastic about the idea,” he said.
What do we know about the Glee reboot so far?
The basics haven’t changed much since last week. Disney+ and Hulu gave the reboot a series order on Oct. 21.
It comes from 20th Television, the studio that made the original show. Original co-creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan wrote the new script, Variety, Deadline and TheWrap reported. Disney hasn’t shared a plot, episode count or premiere date.
The music still has a big audience. Disney said Glee draws around 4 million monthly listeners on Spotify, according to Deadline.
Where can you watch the original Glee?
All six seasons stream on Hulu. Glee ran on Fox from 2009 to 2015, with 121 episodes set at William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio.
The finale left Rachel in a good spot. She won a Tony and married Jesse St. James, Variety recalled.
If you want to catch up before the reboot, now’s a good time to start a rewatch on Hulu.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
Variety (Oct. 21, 2026), the Michele report, her E! News quote and the Morris and Overstreet posts
Deadline (Oct. 21, 2026), the in-talks report, Michele’s recent work and the Spotify figure
TheWrap (Oct. 21, 2026), the in-talks report, the Morris post and Disney’s no comment
PinkNews (Oct. 29, 2026), Harry Shum Jr.’s comments
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