Riverdale star Cole Sprouse says that the cast is ready for the hit CW series to come to an end. Inspired by the characters of Archie Comics, quirky creative Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa poured his heart into Riverdale. He twisted the colorful comic into a gloomy young adult drama for the CW. Iconic characters like Archie Andrews (KJ Apa), Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart), and Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes) were reimagined as present-day teens navigating the dark forces lurking in their small town of Riverdale. Best known for his Disney fame, Sprouse reignited his career as Jughead Jones, the series' noir narrator.
Riverdale caught fire upon its 2017 debut, skyrocketing the glossy cast to international fame. The initial storyline focused on the core group of friends trying to solve the murder of a classmate. As the show's popularity called for renewal after renewal, Riverdale's story strayed into bizarre territory. From musical episodes to alien invasions, there's not much the series hasn't done. Now in its sixth season and already confirmed for a seventh, it seems the cast may be itching to move on.
In a larger profile for GQ, Sprouse said that the majority of Riverdale's recurring cast members are ready for the end. He told the interviewer that they collectively want to "wrap it up with a bow" and move on to other projects. The star elaborated on his experience, saying he has no creative control on the show. Though he attempted to direct an episode, he ultimately decided it wasn't worth it based on the network's tight leash. Still, Sprouse made sure to say that he is eternally grateful for his time on the show and that his wanting to end doesn't dilute the impact Riverdale has had on his and his castmate's lives and careers.
This isn't the first time Sprouse or castmates like Mendes and Reinhart have hinted at Riverdale ending. While they mainly focus on how grateful they feel to have had such a successful and lengthy run, it's clear that they'd like to move on. However, showrunner Aguirre-Sacasa recently stated that Riverdale still has enough gas in the tank to roll for multiple seasons. He teased a new era for the property with season 7, and Riverdale season 7 has already been confirmed.
Of course, just because Riverdale has room to grow doesn't mean that the core cast will stick around. The once-suspenseful drama has moved into a multiplex of strange storylines. While Sprouse and his co-stars have been able to weave other projects into their lives - his latest is HBO Max movie Moonshot with Lana Condor - shooting upwards of twenty episodes per season on Riverdale certainly doesn't give the cast a ton of flexibility. Perhaps the show will keep puttering on in Grey's Anatomy fashion or attempt to launch another spinoff. Either way, it's sadly clear that this chapter of Riverdale is fading fast.
Source: GQ
