All the DetailsIs ‘Riverdale’ Returning to the CW for a Season 7? What We Know About the Final Season

Filming’s Begun

The filming of the seventh and final season of Riverdale began on October 17! Riverdale writer Ted Sullivan announced the filming news on Instagram. “First shot, final season,” he wrote. “Can’t believe we’re actually here. But such a great season is coming. Can’t wait for you all to see. Huge props and thanks to the mastermind of our #riverdale universe and head of our #riverdalefamily @writerras for this huge achievement.”

Back to the ’50s

Writer and producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa revealed on Instagram that season 7’s first episode is titled “Don’t Worry, Darling” and is set to take place in the 1950s.

“And AWAY! WE! GO! It’s back to the 1950’s for Season Seven of #Riverdale! And everything’s FINE, Darlings,” he wrote as his Instagram caption.

‘An Open Mind’

In September 2022, Camila opened up about what she wants to do after her time on Riverdale comes to an end. “I don’t know. I just wanna keep an open mind and I just wanna see what it looks like to have some more free time in my life and what I wanna do with that free time,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “I feel like I just wanna go into it with an open mind.”

She is sure about one thing, though — that she’ll be “so emotional” when Riverdale wraps its seventh and final season. “I’ve grown up with these people. I spent my entire 20s with them, so we’ve really been through so much together,” she explained. “I can’t imagine what it’s gonna be like when I don’t see them every day.”

Did Cheryl Survive?

Madelaine teased what may be to come for Cheryl when season 7 airs in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. “Who knows if Cheryl survived the comet blast? She was real close to that. I guess we’ll find out in season 7 of Riverdale!”

End of An Era

“It’s sad,” Lili admitted in an interview with Entertainment Tonight in August 2022. “It makes me sad. It’s truly the end of an era of my life, a big chapter of my life, and I’ll miss my cast so much.”

She continued, “It’s the last time that we all will be collectively filming something together, so, I think we’re just going into this season knowing that we’re really going to try to cherish it.”

Time to Move On

Cole revealed in a March 2022 interview with GQ Hype that most of the Riverdale cast are ready to “wrap it up with a bow,” and move on with their lives.

The Last Time?

“We’re hoping for a season 7,” Lili told fans during a November 2021 Instagram Live. “And then that will probably be the last one.”

Of course, this has yet to be confirmed.

What Camila Said

“I give it another season,” the actress told Entertainment Tonight in February 2022. “I think we’ll go through season 7. Here’s hoping. We’ll see.”

Relationship Ups and Downs

If Riverdale continues, there’s sure to be more relationship drama as there was throughout the entire show.

The Leads Returning

In March 2020, the Los Angeles Times reported during an interview with KJ that he had signed on to Riverdale “for the next three years.”

The Return of Sabrina

Now that Sabrina is officially in the Riverdale universe, will she return?

“I would hope so,” Kiernan told J-14 exclusively in October 2021. “I always say that I love her so much and I owe so much to that character that any chance I get to play her, I will be there if they want me. So, I’d love to do more.”

More to Come

“Things have only started! There’s so much more to come,” Riverdale showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa told Decider in March 2022.  “There’s still juice in the tank, as far as I’m concerned, at least. As long as the show remains meaningful to people, and people are invested in it, there’s definitely, definitely, definitely gas in the tank.”

One Last Ride

In May 2022, it was confirmed that season 7 would be the show’s last.

“As The CW looks towards the future, we are evolving and adapting to become more than just a network. We are a brand that drives our passionate and dedicated audiences to engage directly with our programming across all platforms, both linear and digital,” CW chairman and chief executive officer, Mark Pedowitz, said in a statement, per Entertainment Weekly. “We will also be saying goodbye to an iconic CW series that shaped and defined popular culture, Riverdale.”

The Final Season

Vanessa Morgan told J-14 exclusively in July 2022 that the final season will “end with a bang.”

“I know the last season we’re doing something really different,” the actress shared. “I obviously can’t say what I’ve been told, but I think it’s gonna be just different than any other season.”

Exploring Toni’s Family Life?

“I don’t know how I’d like her story to come to an end. I think as long as she’s happy, that’s great. I would like it to end with the whole gang together. Not separated. It’d be really beautiful if we’re just like all together,” Vanessa told J-14. “I don’t know what that looks like. I would love to meet more of my family. So far, we’ve only met a grandmother and a grandfather. Do I have siblings? We’ve never touched on that. Where’s my mom? Where’s my dad? I would love to touch more on that.”

‘Next Chapter’

In an interview with Porter, Camila said 2022 was the year for “gearing up for the next chapter,” she told the outlet in November on leaving Riverdale. “I don’t keep myself busy because I don’t like being idle; I keep myself busy because I have anxiety about my career,” she admitted.

“I’ve always been in that frame of mind. I understand that this industry is so fickle. Fame is fleeting. You can be successful, but you’re only as good as your last thing.”

Season 1 Similarities

Madelaine told Variety that season 7 is “pared down” compared to Riverdale‘s past seasons, likening it to season 1 of the show.

“There is one pretty major thing in my family life that’s bizarre and amazing. Other than that, this season is very grounded and focused around relationships,” she promised. “You’re really getting what made the show so special in season 1, which was the relationships in the town. This season is more pared down with the craziness, but there are some bizarre things happening.”

‘Shed a Few Tears’

“Shed a few tears on my way home from work tonight,” Lili wrote on her Instagram Story on December 13, 2022. “It’s overwhelming to think that an end is coming to our crazy little show.”

“I’m so grateful to be where I’m today,” she continued. “I’m thankful for Riverdale, for my fans, for my dear Betty, and for the family I’ve made through this experience.”

New Cast Members

Nicholas Barasch and Karl Walcott have been added to the cast in major recurring roles, according to Deadline.

Nicholas will play Julien Blossom, a stereotypical high school bully who often “butts heads with his twin sister.”

Karl is playing Clay Walker, an artistic, studious character who “will have an impactful friendship with fellow queer character Kevin Keller.”

Sneak Peek

Riverdale cocreator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa shared a sneak peek of episode 1 via Instagram.

“Thank god the ’50s were as crazy as they were, because it’s been so fun to be in that world,” he told EW. “Every season we explore the tropes of a specific genre, be it supernatural, be it pulp, be it crime. This year our genre is the 1950s, so we’re in dialogue with the American myth of what the 1950s were versus the reality.”

He also added that most of the storylines from the past six seasons have been reset in season 7.

“There’s not so much history and fraught baggage. There’s a lightness to the show. It’s been a great way to get back to basics, which is the kids in high school discovering themselves, the kids having their first times. We can discover these moments or revisit moments that we’ve explored in the past in a completely different context.”

Archie’s Storyline

Roberto shared a bit on each Riverdale character and what they’ll be going through in season 7 in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

On Archie: “Archie feels much more innocent than we’ve ever depicted him on Riverdale,” the show’s creator shared. “When we meet Archie here, he is a clean cut, 1950s teen. We describe him a little bit as a Richie Cunningham-type from Happy Days and he’s on his own journey. He’s a more innocent, romantic kind of character.”

Jughead’s Storyline

“The first episode is Jughead’s story,” Roberto told EW. “It’s him asking, ‘What do I do with the fact that I’m the only one who remembers our lives before the comet hit?’ And that gets resolved at the end of episode 1. But you get to see Cole playing the Jughead we’ve known, and then you get to see Cole putting on a 1950s persona.”

Veronica’s Storyline

“In season 1, Veronica arrived from New York, and in the 1950s, she’s arrived from Los Angeles,” Roberto told EW. “She grew up in 1950s Hollywood, so it’s similar but different from season 1. She’s still an outsider and a socialite, very different from everyone else.”

The Premiere Date

The final season is set to premiere via The CW on March 29 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

The Trailer

A few weeks before the final season premiere, The CW gave fans a sneak peek at what’s to come with the official season 7 trailer.