"Riverdale," the adaptation based on "Archie," won't air until the mid-season but viewers are already anticipating the series to find out the similarities and differences from the comics. Recently, the characterization of Jughead Jones in the teen drama on The CW has been the subject of discussion among fans.
Cole Sprouse, who plays Jughead Jones in "Riverdale," hinted in a panel presented during the network's upfronts showcase in May that his character is going to be his own person. While he doesn't explicitly define what this means, it should be noted that Jughead Jones was recently revealed to be asexual in the comics, Vulture reports.
"I think that's the kind of representation that's desperately needed within modern media," Cole Sprouse said, per an E! Live red carpet interview. "That kind of sexual representation is really lacking," he added.
get ready for #riverdale 2017 pic.twitter.com/BvQ8bE9zsE
— KJ Apa (@kj_apa) July 25, 2016
At the New York Comic Con over the weekend, "Archie" CEO Jon Goldwater said that their comics is all about inclusion. Yet whether or not the TV adaptation will also take this into account remains to be seen.
However, Goldwater also teased the crowd, " I think Jughead in 'Riverdale' is going to be the Jughead you know," the "Archie" boss said, per MTV. "Jughead in 'Riverdale' really is gonna epitomize all the best qualities of Jughead," he added, implying that the character might also be asexual on the TV show.
Jon Goldwater and "Archie" creative head Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa are very much involved in the production of "Riverdale," as announced on the Archie Comics official site. Their team is also going to come out with a comic book based on the TV universe, which will be released in time for the series premiere in 2017.
Apart from Cole Sprouse, "Riverdale" also stars KJ Apa as Archie Andrews, Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper, Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge, Ross Butler as Reggie Mantle, Luke Perry as Archie's dad Fred and Madchen Amick as Betty's mom Alice Cooper. The show's treatment will be a lot darker than the comics. Watch the teaser below.
