'Riverdale' Season 3 Will Include These New 2 Main Characters, So I Guess They're Safe

With characters dying left and right recently, Riverdale fans are finally getting some hopeful news: Two fan-favorite characters are guaranteed to survive until next season. Showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa just confirmed to TVLine that Reggie Mantle and Toni Topaz will be regulars on Riverdale Season 3, promoting actors Charles Melton and Vanessa Morgan from their recurring status to series regulars. So for anyone who was worried about Reggie or Toni possibly becoming the Black Hood's next victim, worry no more!

Vanessa Morgan and Charles Melton were both new additions to Season 2 of Riverdale. Morgan's character of the Southside Serpent Toni Topaz was initially theorized to be a new love interest for Jughead, but Toni became one of the fandom's most beloved characters recently after starting up a relationship with Cheryl Blossom, a romance that the fans have dubbed Choni. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa promised that we would be seeing much more of Cheryl and Toni's relationship in Season 3 now that the newest River Vixen is officially a series regular:

Toni Topaz has been a break-out character for us since Jughead met her at Southside High — and that’s thanks to Vanessa Morgan’s fearless, winning performance. We’re thrilled that the adventures of this fan-favorite will continue into Season 3. Long live Choni!

And then there is Reggie, who is actually a major part of the Archie comics, but not really on Riverdale yet. Charles Melton took over the role of Reggie in Season 2, after Season 1 actor Ross Butler left the show to focus on his other series, 13 Reasons Why. So far in Riverdale, Reggie has mainly been shown to be a hotheaded upstart, who often goes back and forth with Archie as the de facto leader of the Riverdale High Bulldogs. He has been shown to despise the Southside Serpents more than almost any other character, and also deals the drug jingle jangle to his fellow students. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa made sure to emphasize that there is A LOT more Reggie in Season 3:

Charles stepped into the iconic role of Reggie this season and completely made it his own. He’s a terrific addition to the gang and in Season 3, we’ll be seeing A LOT more of him. All hail Mantle the Magnificent!

One possible storyline that we might see from Reggie next season could be a romance with Josie McCoy. The series hyped up a possible relationship between the two supporting characters before Season 2 began, but all that we have seen from them is Reggie briefly flirting with Josie while doing community service early in the season.

But of course, the big thing that this news means is that Reggie and Toni will be safe from the Black Hood — at least for a good chunk of Season 3. Bodies have been piling up in Riverdale since the masked serial killer returned to town a few episodes before the Season 2 finale, and side characters like [Spoiler alert] Midge, Chic, and Fangs have been dropping like flies.

What's worse: Toni and Reggie have both found themselves in hot water as the season finale nears. Last episode ended with Reggie possibly shooting Fangs in front of the whole town, and the promo for next week's episode shows Toni getting mysteriously tied up. Thankfully, though, this promotion news means that fans don't have to worry about Reggie or Toni getting taken out in the next couple episodes.

While Toni and Reggie may be safe, nobody else is. The Season 2 finale of Riverdale will air on Wednesday, May 16, and the cast has teased that it will be a total game-changer.