Riverdale: Who should play Jughead’s mom and sister?
Cole Sprouse confirmed during Riverdale’s Comic Con panel that Jughead’s mom and little sister will make their debut in season three. But who will be cast?
Since season one, Riverdale fans have been eagerly waiting for Jughead’s mom Gladys and little sister Jellybean “JB” Jones to make the trek from Toledo, Ohio to “the town with pep.” According to Comic Book Resources, Cole Sprouse confirmed at San Diego Comic Con that fans will finally get their wish in episode eight or nine of the show’s upcoming third season.
No casting announcements have been made yet, so I decided to get the ball rolling. I’d first like to offer a bit of context for my Jellybean suggestions. Jughead cited his sister as being ten years old back in season one. Given that only about a year has gone by since the pilot, per Riverdale‘s timeline, Jellybean will presumably be eleven or twelve when she makes her debut.
That being said, shows often age up characters, especially if they’ve previously only been mentioned offscreen or haven’t appeared often. If Riverdale goes that route, I’m guessing Jellybean could potentially be upwards of 14.
With all that in mind, I picked actresses who I think could reasonably play 11-14. Honestly, though, Sprouse is a 25-year-old playing a 16-year-old, so I think whoever plays Jellybean can be given some leeway in that regard, too.
The following are my top three choices to play Jellybean and my top three to play Gladys.
3. Lola Flanery
Thirteen-year-old Lola Flanery is definitely a star on the rise. In 2017, she played Reese Witherspoon’s daughter in the romantic comedy Home Again. Her television credits include Mary Kills People and Shadowhunters, among others. She joined Freeform’s beloved supernatural series for a memorable arc in its second and third seasons as Seelie Queen.
Photo Credit: The 100
Flanery can currently be seen killing it as Madi on the hit CW show The 100. The actress joined the show for its fifth season as the loving, protective and headstrong 12-year-old adoptive daughter of the main character Clarke Griffin (Eliza Taylor).
Flanery brings an impressive level of maturity to her badass role, which is crucial because of The 100‘s dark subject matter and tone. That maturity would be a plus on Riverdale for the same reasons.
I’m fairly certain Flanery will be returning for season six of The 100, so I don’t know how available she’ll be. Here’s to hoping she can return to pre-apocalyptic Earth for a bit.