Malcrf, it could be brought back to life as an excellent platform. Sadly, I suspect the F-35 sales pitch exceeds what Buccaneer did. Now, I write this very carefully.
Bucc did great low level attack - possible the best ever without TFR (your upgrade would probably sort that - I know I'm ignoring previous work here).
Bucc did great anti-shipping. Bananas. Very brave stuff. And the guys were outstanding there.
Recce. Clearly possible.
AAR. Sure, if the Navy can support its shrinking relevance. Not a difficult role for an aircraft such as the Bucc, but maybe we shouldn't need it as much as we did because the alternative today is a Gen5 airframe that, surely, should get airborne with a full fuel load.
Nuclear strike. Well a mute point because the UK is not France and the role has been passed along to the RN. Let's hope they fight their corner hard enough to protect it.
EW. That's classified, right?
What does that leave? AD, Interdiction (as it used to be called), CAS, etc.
What is the alternative? Well, there is no alternative. This thing is coming.
BUT, Malcrf, you make a really good point (in my opinion). A great aircraft can do important roles really well. For a long time we all tried to build aircraft that could do them all. And we succeeded to an extent - F-15e as an example.
But then we try to design an aircraft where stealth is supposed to make it undetectable and indestructible. We all know where the stealth argument ends and the compromises it imposes on performance. And that will be the big tester when it goes up against a Century 21 adversary built for a specific role, like the Bucc.
So, maybe there is an argument for aircraft designed for a role. The Bucc certainly was. The re-engineered Bucc can't do all the F-35 roles. But then we don't know that F-35 can yet either.
Personally, I'd love to see the Bucc in the air. And a major upgrade could probobly make it a potent aircraft. But...