Following her breakout role in Netflix’s Stranger Things, it seems that Shannon Purser is joining another sure-fire hit. In an exclusive report, Entertainment Weekly has announced the up-and-coming actress will star in The CW’s Riverdale.
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Riverdale, which is based on the characters of Archie Comics, is set to premiere later this year to fans’ delight. According to EW, Shannon will be playing Ethel Muggs, a fan-favorite character from Archie. Once known as ‘Big Ethel,’ the character sounds somewhat similar to Stranger Things‘ Barb. Ethel is known as a homely, shy teenager who harbors a massive crush on Jughead Jones, Archie’s ex-best friend. While the character has mellowed over the years, Ethel still stands as one of the comic’s most down-home and relatable characters.
However, in Riverdale, it seems like Ethel won’t be chasing after Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse). The character will instead find herself in a romantic relationship with a very different person, leading fans to wonder whether Ethel might be snuggling up to Dilton Doiley or Archie Andrews himself. Riverdale will also highlight Ethel’s close friendship with Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes) and Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart), two of the town’s most popular girls. The trio will be working together to take revenge against Reggie Mantle (Ross Butler), a local prankster who happens to be Archie’s arch-nemesis. And, right now, it looks like Shannon is expected to play Ethel for three episodes of Riverdale.
Coinciding with Archie‘s 75th anniversary, Riverdale will be written by Archie Comics’ CCO Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Glee) with Greg Berlanti (The Flash) acting executive producer. The show’s pilot finished filming earlier this spring, and production on Riverdale‘s remaining episodes will head underway on September 7th. As such, the show has recently announced several casting decisions ahead of its shooting schedule as talent like Robin Givens has joined the cast. Other actors like K.J. Apa, Ashleigh Murray, Irie Hayleau, Luke Perry, Olivia Ryan-Stern, and more have also signed onto the project.
Of course, many viewers will recognize Shannon Purser from her now-famous portrayal of Barb. The character stands as one of Stranger Things‘ most well-known figures as the Internet quickly rallied behind Barb as many fans felt she was being looked over. Starting social media campaigns such as #JusticeForBarb, Shannon Purser found herself transformed into one of the industry’s most buzzworthy actress following her work on Stranger Things.
Riverdale is set to debut on The CW later this winter.
