Say what you want about how Supergirl‘s fourth season ultimately turned out, but I firmly believe Sam Witwer to be one of its bright spots. From the get-go, he hit home runs with whatever the writers threw his way. Then again, he’s always proven himself to be a solid actor ever since dazzling us on Smallville and various Star Wars projects.
So, now that the Girl of Steel’s show is moving beyond Agent Liberty and toward this mysterious Leviathan organization when it comes to big bads, that leaves Witwer in need of work himself. Fortunately, he didn’t have to look too far, as he’ll remain over at The CW – this time bringing his brand of villainy to Riverdale.
As it turns out, he’ll play Mr. Chipping, who’ll be a recurring character. For more, here’s the official description to go along with the casting news:
“Handsome, bookish and cool, Mr. Chipping teaches creative writing at a prestigious prep school near Riverdale. He recruits Jughead for his seminar, and while he’s eminently inspiring to his students, there’s a darkness hidden far beneath the surface…”
Offering more details was Jughead himself, Cole Sprouse, at San Diego Comic-Con:
“Jughead gets whisked away on a scholarship to a very sort of Gossip Girl Upper East Side preppy, pretentious, richy-rich silver spoon [school] and he’s going to be the new blood. But yeah, I think it’s fun. And the school also kind of serves — I assume, maybe I’m just speaking out of turn here — but it serves as the setting for the flash-forward.”
For those not up to speed, the flash forward being referred to was the one presented near the closing moments of season 3’s finale. In that, Betty, Veronica and Archie were in their undergarments while standing in front of a fire. Something violent had obviously gone down, forcing them to burn their clothes – and Jughead’s signature beanie.
From the sound of it, Mr. Chipping’s dark side could play a huge part in what’s to come. My best guess is that he could be the one filling the antagonistic void left by the Black Hood and Gargoyle King. We’ll have to wait and see, of course, but the outlook doesn’t seem so great for Jughead.
Riverdale returns with new episodes on Wednesday, October 9th on The CW.