Live-action Riverdale is going to be a bit different than we’re used to! Well, there’ve been some changes for Archie and his friends in the comics, too – what with the recent Mark Waid/Fiona Staples Archie title that’s gone a long way to revitalize the gang. However, the new CW Riverdale show seems to be going even further.
According to TVLine, here are the breakdowns for the four main characters:
ARCHIE ANDREWS | A high school sophomore, the redhead is still boyishly handsome but “pumped and looking good after working construction for his dad during the summer.” Archie is grappling with heavy issues and juggling the interest of several girls while discovering his passion for writing and performing music against his father and his football coach’s better wishes. Oh, and he’s harboring more than one dark, terrible secret.
BETTY COOPER | The blonde and pretty sophomore is described as having “some self-esteem issues and affinity for Adderall.” Eager-to-please, wholesome and studious, Betty has a super-crush on her longtime best bud, Archie. But tired of being the “perfect” everything, she turns to her new friend, Veronica, for life advice. Betty has an emotionally brittle mom, a goth-like sister and a coveted spot on the cheerleading squad — though with certain conditions….
VERONICA LODGE | Producers are aiming to ideally cast a Latina as this “silver-tongued” stunner, who has just returned to Riverdale from New York following a scandal which resulted in her father going to prison. Extremely intelligent, self-confident and immediately popular, Veronica is eager to reinvent herself — from Mean Girl to caring friend.
JUGHEAD JONES | A hearing-impaired actor is being sought to play Jughead as an “emo-heartthrob.” The lanky lad is Archie’s former best friend, seeing as the two still are smarting from a rift that took place between them. Angry, but with a philosophical bent, Jughead “refuses to take the olive branch being proffered by Archie, the hurt goes that deep.”
Newsarama adds that, “Her father Hiram Lodge will be in a bad spot if these reports are true: he’s in prison after a scandal in New York which prompted his daughter to move to Riverdale.”
A “pumped” Archie and a Betty on Adderall? Um…K? I’ve gotta say I’m definitely very excited for a Latina Veronica! But even more exciting is a hearing-impaired Jughead. So often, when we say things like “diversity” we usually think about ethnicity or gender. Sometimes, we even think about those who are LGBTQ+, but often those with disabilities and those with mental illnesses are either always last on the list, or left off the list entirely. It’ll be interesting to see how this show develops.
What do you think about these casting descriptions? Will you be watching Riverdale?
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