Marisol Nichols is not leaving Riverdale. The actress has confirmed she will continue playing Hermione Lodge for all of Season 5. And she may stick around even longer than that.
Although the news is great for fans, it is also a bit shocking, considering that Marisol announced her departure in February. She was supposed to exit the CW series at the end of Season 4, along with actor Skeet Ulrich (FP Jones).
Now, the actress has had a change of heart and is looking forward to the next chapter of playing Hermione.
The coronavirus pandemic impact on Season 4
Production on Riverdale was halted in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. The season was three episodes short, drastically altering show creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s plans for the show.
The creator recently shared that Season 5 will pick up with the remaining episodes that were intended to air last season. His news sparked speculation regarding whether or not Skeet and Marisol would return to finish their stories.
Yes, the characters could exit off-screen. However, that would not make Riverdale fans too happy. Thankfully, Roberto confirmed both Skeet and Marisol would be back to ensure their characters received a proper send-off.
Skeet is still expected to leave after the arc is complete. He recently spilled that he was “bored creatively” with the CW drama.
Staying put on Riverdale
Marisol was happy to share that she is going to continue to play Hermione during a video chat with Access Hollywood’s Zuri Hall.
The actress spilled that a conversation with Roberto changed her mind. Marisol is excited to continue telling Hermione’s story.
She didn’t share details regarding the storyline or the number of episodes she will appear in during the next season.
Marisol made it sound like Hermione may even stick around beyond Season 5 of the hit show. Thanks to her chat with Roberto, Marisol can now focus on other projects while still on Riverdale.
One project that Marisol is extremely passionate about is human trafficking. She is working with law enforcement to combat the horrific issue and has even gone undercover a time or two. Marisol is producing two documentaries to shed light on human trafficking.
Along with fighting human trafficking, Marisol has two other scripted shows she is producing. She didn’t elaborate on those projects.
Marisol Nichols is staying put on Riverdale as Hermione Lodge. The character is changing and becoming stronger than ever, which is one reason the actress chose to stick around in the foreseeable future.
Riverdale will return in January 2021 on The CW.