Reggie Mantle is a major supporting character inRiverdale, having a role across all seven seasons of the show. Originally created back in 1942, Reggie served as the rival to Archie Andrews in the Archie Comics, and the two would essentially be frenemies for a large portion of their comic book history. When it comes to the live-actionRiverdaleadaption that began in 2017, the show leaned on that rivalry, with Reggie largely acting as an antagonistic force to Archie through the first season.
Reggie grew over the course of the series, becoming a much more positive character throughoutRiverdale’sseven seasons. While most of the characters inRiverdalechange and grow in a number of ways, Reggie Mantle did so in a much different fashion. One of the biggest changes to Reggie came after season 1, and forever changed the character for the rest of the series.
Reggie Was Replaced Because Ross Butler Left Riverdale For 13 Reasons Why
He Felt More Connected To His Character Zach Than Reggie
Throughout the entire first season ofRiverdale, Ross Butler played Reggie Mantle, but when season 2 rolled around, Butler was no longer the face of Reggie. In 2017,series creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa toldTV Linethat Butler would not be returning to the role because of commitments to other projectsgoing on at the same time. At the time, Butler had a role in Netflix’s13 Reasons Why, one of their most popular teen dramas, which took precedence over his time onRiverdale.
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It’s a shame given that Butler was great in the role of Reggie, but13 Reasons Whyfelt like a monumental moment for teen dramas, so it makes sense why the actor would go in that direction. Looking back on it now tells a different story, but at the time, it seemed like a no-brainer. In an interview withVulture, Butler opened up about deciding to prioritize13 Reasons WhyoverRiverdale, stating:
Before season 2 was confirmed for13 [Reasons Why], I had to make the decision of whether I wanted to focus on one character or split two characters and have a smaller role on both shows… Reggie’s a great character, but it’s a different tone. I connected with Zach on a much more real level where I didn’t have to create so much of a character for him.
Charles Melton Replaced Butler As Reggie On Riverdale
Melton’s Reggie Was Less Of A Jock Stereotype
When Ross Butler left the role of Reggie Mantle, it was up toCharles Melton to play theRiverdalecharacter, starting with the first episode of season 2. Melton portrayed Reggie in a much different light, given that Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa actually told Melton not to watch Butler’s version of the character from season 1, wanting him to have his own take on Reggie Mantle (viaBusiness Insider). This proved to be good advice, as Melton’s version of the character has a lot more to him than in season one.
Of course, this isn’t a dig at Butler as an actor. Reggie became a much more fleshed-out character starting in season 2.Riverdalereally leaned into the jerk side of Reggie in the first season, but Melton’s version gave him much more depth, somewhat shedding the jock stereotype Butler’s version essentially was. It wasn’t always smooth sailing for Melton, either, as he was unable to play Reggie for the first half of the final season due to his own scheduling conflicts. Thankfully, he was able to come back for the second half to help finishRiverdaleon a strong note.
Where The Reggie Actors Are Now
Ross Butler Joined The Shazam! Franchise While Charles Melton Earned Praise For May December
Ultimately, Ross Butler and Charles Melton have built solid careers for themselves, both during their time onRiverdaleand after. Butler remained in13 Reasons Whyfor all four seasons, and has since appeared in a number of TV shows and movies. Some ofButler’s biggest projects includeShazam!andShazam! Fury of the Gods,Awkwafina is Nora from Queens, andLove in Taipei. He also has a handful of projects in post-production, such asZiplineandShiver.
It seemed like everything worked out with both actors, as13 Reasons WhyandRiverdalehelped them get even greater opportunities.
While the second Reggie Mantle remained a staple ofRiverdalefor most of its run,Melton was also involved in some great projectsduring and after. His most notable role, though, was inMay December. Revolving around the story of a woman who began a relationship with her husband when he was 13, and she was 36,Melton received strong praise for hisMay Decemberrole, earning a Golden Globe nominationin the process. Up next for Melton is a part in the upcoming film,Warfare, directed by Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland.
Riverdale
Cast
A darker take on Archie, Betty, Veronica, and their friends from the Archie Comics series, Riverdale is a CW supernatural mystery series that sees the group trying to illuminate the truth surrounding various strange occurrences and murders in the titular town. When a teenage girl is found dead in the once-quiet town, the event starts a series of ever-growing mysteries that ultimately lead to darker secrets in the town’s history. Led by Archie, the Riverdale gang will attempt to navigate their new normal while dealing with all of the drama that comes with being high school teenagers.
