There’s been a lot of talk about Riverdale possibly ending soon, and it sounds like Cole Sprouse is on board with it. The actor has not been shy about making his feelings about the increasingly ridiculous series known, but Sprouse’s latest quotes about Riverdale ending feel particularly shady. In a recent interview with GQ, Sprouse seemingly expressed his frustrations with the series, which is currently airing its sixth season, sharing that he has no creative input on the series.
As Riverdale has delved into more absurd storylines over the years (cults, alternate dimensions, and superpowers, oh my!), the cast has joined in on the fandom’s love-hate relationship with the show, often making fun of it in interviews. At this point, most of the enjoyment of the admittedly campy series is laughing at its ridiculousness, which isn’t lost on the cast or crew. But the shady comments aren’t merely jokes for Sprouse. In his March 30 GQ profile, the actor hinted his lack of any creative control is a main reason he’s ready to move on from the show.
“I'm not a creative force behind [Riverdale]. I actually have no creative control,” Sprouse said. “We show up, receive the scripts often the day of, and we're asked to shoot.”
Sprouse’s comment about receiving scripts the day of filming might be a bit of an exaggeration — large-scale productions like Riverdale need call sheets and at least basic script outlines in advance so actors know who’s filming when, and the cast and writers have shared script pages to Instagram in advance of filming previously. That said, it’s entirely possible Sprouse has been given major rewrites while on set, since Riverdale has a pretty quick turnaround, as fans learned when Season 4 was forced to end early due to lockdowns in early 2020.
Sprouse further explained his issues with his lack of creative control on the show by revealing he was approached to direct an episode, but turned it down because he felt the network would not respect his vision.
The actor’s comments come amid speculation that Riverdale is preparing to end next season. The CW has already renewed the series for Season 7, but the cast has dropped several hints that that’ll be the last one. KJ Apa revealed the main cast signed contracts through Season 7; Lili Reinhart letting it slip that Season 7 will “probably be the last one” on Instagram Live. Sprouse has also commented that it’s time for the show to say goodbye, which he reiterated in his GQ profile, adding in the most of his castmates agree they’re ready to “wrap it up with a bow.”
For now, there’s no official information about when Riverdale will end, but it sure sounds like Sprouse is ready to hang up his crown-shaped beanie for good.
