It’s official: We are getting a Gleeboot

After years of speculation, the rumours are finally true, with Ryan Murphy’s musical fever dream officially returning to our screens. But the internet is rightfully asking: what could a new season of Glee look like in 2026?

On 21 October, Disney confirmed that a new season of the hit musical series will be coming to Disney+ and Hulu, 11 years after the original show ended. There is no release date or confirmed storyline yet, but we finally have a reason to dust off our old Glee playlists.

The announcement follows September’s news that creator Ryan Murphy had completed a reboot script with the show’s original collaborators. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Murphy revealed: “I have been in touch with around ten of the original cast members” adding that they were “very enthusiastic about the idea.” He also explained that the show had found a new audience with younger viewers, which had prompted him to consider revisiting it. The mention of a completed script sparked hope, but this week’s confirmation that Disney has given the reboot the green light has us all questioning which familiar faces will return to the Glee Club.

While the official cast remains under wraps, some former members of the ‘New Directions’ have already expressed an interest in returning. Our beloved Rachel Berry (Lea Michele) has said numerous times across the years that she would be excited to revisit the series, making us hopeful that the Broadway diva might grace our screens once again. Heather Morris appears to have embraced the rumours in true Brittany S. Pierce fashion. In an Instagram post, she joked: “Yes ladies and gentle men of women, rumors are true. Brittany S Pierce was in fact lost in the sewers for all of these years. But I’m here to inform you that she is alive and well…and back for more.” Whether this is a genuine hint or simply Morris having fun with her fans, we can only hope that Brittany is ready to return. Furthermore, Darren Criss has recently been performing live at London’s Royal Albert Hall, covering a whole host of songs including his hit Glee covers. He even brought out former co-star Chris Colfer to perform the famous Kurt and Blaine Christmas duet from season two. And I am sure all the theatre-kids are eagerly hoping for a brief appearance of Jonathan Groff as the infamous Jesse St. James.

With the plot still a mystery, the possibilities are practically endless. We could get a 10-year reunion, bringing back the original members of New Directions, or perhaps Mr. Schuester will finally retire, and the group reunites by throwing him a farewell party. A personal favourite of mine is the idea of Rachel returning to McKinley looking for a job, only to discover that the next generation of aspiring stars are just as dramatic as she was. Alternatively, the reboot could revisit some of the original series’ storylines such as Quinn and Puck’s daughter, Beth. She would now be around 16 years old, so perhaps we could see her at McKinley High joining the very glee club that changed her mother’s life.

Naturally, we need updates on where our favourites ended up. Are Kurt and Blaine still happily married? Has Rachel become a slightly washed-up Broadway star? Is Mercedes finally besties with Beyoncé?

A Glee reboot without iconic musical numbers would be like Sue Sylvester without her tracksuits. The soundtrack will be crucial, especially if the series wants to connect with the younger generation. We can already imagine the new high-schoolers belting Olivia Rodrigo, while Rachel would undoubtedly claim Chappell Roan’s ‘Good Luck, Babe!’ as her own. Kurt would obviously disagree, sparking a rivalry to match their season one ‘Defying Gravity’ showdown. The real challenge would be balancing contemporary hits with the nostalgic covers that made the original so addictive. If they get the song choices right, the reboot could dominate playlists all over again.

The decision to move from network television to streaming could also give the reboot more creative freedom. The original series infamously did not hold back, but a modern streaming audience may allow its writers to explore adult relationships and social pressures differently. If the original cast returns, their characters will be in their 30s, facing careers, relationships, and responsibilities rather than simply surviving school. The comedy could become sharper, the emotional storylines more mature, and the drama even messier. The reboot could therefore grow up alongside its original audience.

One of the most sensitive questions surrounding a revival is how it will honour Naya Rivera, whose portrayal of Santana Lopez was central to the show’s legacy. Rivera died in 2020, and fans will understandably want her character to be treated with care. Speaking with Bustle, Chris Colfer acknowledged how complicated a return would be without Rivera: “It was a really tough show to do, and it would be really hard to do it now that Naya is gone.” Whether the reboot includes a tribute episode like Cory Monteith’s memorial episode in 2016, references to Satana’s life beyond McKinley, or takes another approach, it must honour her impact without treating her absence as just another plot twist.

This reboot proves that Glee could be exactly what society needs right now; television is more fragmented than ever, yet Glee’s central idea of finding community through music feels just as relevant today. Musicals continue to thrive on stage, TikTok has created a digital version of the glee club, and the enduring popularity of the Glee Cast on Spotify reflects that people regularly return to these songs. A modern revival has the chance to learn from the original’s missteps while embracing a generation that is ready to express itself even more unapologetically than when the show first aired in 2009.