‘Riverdale’ Season 2 Confirmed, Core Cast Members React to Early Renewal; Cole Sprouse Talks Jughead-Betty Connection

‘Riverdale’ season 2 is officially renewed on The CW. Core cast members including Lili Reinhart and KJ Apa, who play Betty and Archie respectively, recently reacted to the show’s early renewal. Co-star Cole Sprouse also talked about Jughead and Betty’s connection in a recent interview.

According to E! News, the dark adaptation of the iconic Archie comic books has received an early renewal for season 2 scheduled to be released sometime in 2017-2018. The teen drama and thriller television series was first released on The CW last January 2017.

The show is only one of the early renewals issued by the network, including ‘The Flash’ season 4, DC’s ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ season 3, and ‘Arrow’ season 6. The series is based on characters from Archie Comics and is from Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios, in association with Berlanti Productions. Season 1 earned generally positive reviews from critics, with the pilot episode raking in 1.4 million viewers.

According to Comicbook.com, star Lili Reinhart recently expressed her gratitude to fans on social media. An excerpt from her post read, “I feel the need to express how incredibly overjoyed and thrilled I am that we were given a season 2 pickup. To be a working actress with a steady job is something that I do not take for granted… We put our blood, sweat and tears into every episode of this show and the dedication and support our fans have showed us has made it all worth while.”

Reinhart plays Betty Cooper a sweet and smart teenager with a crush on her best friend Archie (KJ Apa). The 20-year old actress described her character as a “strong-willed, fierce, and courageous girl.” She admitted that there needs to be more well-written women depicted on film and television.

KJ Apa also addressed the season 2 renewal during a recent interview saying, “I know the writers want to get way darker, grittier and more intense with their storylines… I think we can expect to see new characters from the comics.”

Meanwhile, Cole Sprouse revealed developments for his own character Jughead during an interview with Screener TV. When asked about Jughead’s connection with Betty, he replied, “I don't know, you know?... But it's important to remember that there's a large group of people that want Jughead to be asexual. That was the same side I was on in the beginning, when I was fighting for it… We're in a new universe, there's still a large group of people that want Betty and Jughead together.”

He also hinted that the show will explore Jughead’s backstory and family history further. Sprouse said, “He integrates himself into society a little more actively in the later half of the season, so you'll get to see more.”

‘Riverdale’ season 2 is expected to return on The CW sometime in 2017 or 2018. No official release date has been announced as of the present.