5 Juicy Details Ross Butler Revealed About The CW's Archie Reboot, Riverdale

Pumped about The CW's Archie reboot, Riverdale? So are we. The premiere is a few weeks away, and we already have a few exciting details about the highly anticipated new show. POPSUGAR recently had a chance to sit down with Ross Butler, who plays Archie's rival, Reggie Mantle, and he filled us in on the show's '80s connection, how he bonded with fellow Disney Channel alum Cole Sprouse, and whether or not fans of the comics will be satisfied with the adaptation. Here's what we learned!

While the characters will stay the same, the general theme is a lot darker than the original. "The older fans will appreciate it, but for the new fans, it's a completely different story," Butler said. "It plays on the old relationships, but it doesn't stick to them."

Even though the series will be modernized, Butler admitted that it will remind you of John Hughes's films. "It's very coming-of-age," he added. "The characters and the relationships — that's pretty much what everyone loves about John Hughes movies — so that's what we'll be exploring." Fitting, seeing as '80s icon Molly Ringwald will be playing Archie's mom.

Apa, who plays Archie, actually screen-tested with Butler for the upcoming Power Rangers movie. "So, we instantly had a connection," Butler explained. "Our character relationship makes for a good real-life relationship, because I'm always ragging on him. He's young and he's doing so well, so I got to make sure that his head doesn't get too big."

Butler said he had a few chats about Disney Channel with the Suite Life of Zack & Cody star, who is playing Jughead. "Being from Disney, we feel like we're from the same family," he said. "We were raised in the century with the same values. Even though he got into it much younger than I did, I saw a lot of characteristics that were similar. It was interesting to hear his perspective on things now that we're both on The CW. It's just much darker content now."

Since the comics have such a widespread fan base, Butler admitted that he was a bit anxious about playing Reggie. "It's a lot to live up to," he said. "The older generation, obviously, there's a huge fan base, and then the newer generation, this is a bit of a new introduction to it. I guess I was more excited than nervous, just because it is such a reinvention of the story and characters."