Chad Michael Murray Is Joining 'Riverdale As A Major Character Involved In The Farm

The Farm finally has its leader. Chad Michael Murray is joining Riverdale as none other than Edgar Evernever, the cult leader himself, TVLine reported on Friday. And if there's anyone who can step into the creepy dude's shoes, it's Murray.

Edgar's never been shown on screen yet (obviously), but fans know that he has to be a pretty enigmatic guy, if he's convinced all of his followers to join the group. Before joining The Farm, Alice was a no-nonsense journalist, focused on finding evidence and facts in any given situation. So it must have taken someone very charming to convince her to join a cult. And Murray would fit that role perfectly — it's almost easy to imagine him using his charisma to describe the cult to unsuspecting Riverdale citizens.

Murray also tweeted about the Riverdale casting news on Friday, writing, "#Evernever Hang on tight coz it's gonna be a wild ride @CW_Riverdale @TheCW." His former One Tree Hill costar Hilarie Burton was quick to congratulate him on the news, too, sending a perfectly earnest response to Murray's tweet. "So happy for you dude!!!!!!!! Love to the wife and kids!!! Xoxoxoxo," Burton tweeted. It's sweet to see that Murray's castmates are still supporting his endeavors after all these years.

Aside from the fact that he leads the cult and is Evelyn's dad, Riverdale hasn't really shared a ton of information about who Edgar is. Based on Evelyn's experience, it seems like Edgar is single, since Evelyn's never mentioned anything about her mom. It also looks like, unlike the other parents of many Riverdale High students, Edgar didn't grow up in the small town.

But while Edgar himself may be a mystery, there's a lot of evidence about The Farm's questionable behavior. The cult seems to be linked to the seizures that have afflicted Betty and her classmates. Its members also apparently levitated Polly's babies during a bonfire (yeah, that happened). And more recently, the cult's been seeking young people to join its ranks.

Evelyn has started a student group to teach other students about The Farm, much to Betty's chagrin. And when Betty and Ethel orchestrated the release of the Sisters of Quiet Mercy residents, Evelyn and her dad were quick to sweep them away to The Farm.

This seems to be a group that looks for people who are in vulnerable states; after all, Alice joined them after learning her husband was a serial killer. That's a pretty sinister tactic in itself, so Edgar seems to be some kind of evil genius. Hopefully, when Murray's episodes of the show air, fans will see some of the thought process that goes into Edgar's actions.

TVLine didn't detail when the One Tree Hill star's Riverdale episodes will start, but there's a good chance it could coincide with the next musical episode. Riverdale High is staging Heathers: The Musical, and according to the casting announcement, the production is "sponsored by The Farm."

Murray likely won't be singing in the episode (although, it's Riverdale, so you never know). But his patronage of the school's drama department could be the perfect opportunity for him to appear in person on the show. Plus, Evelyn has been cast as Ms. Fleming, and Edgar will likely want to see his daughter's acting debut.

It's about time fans were able to put a face to the character who convinced Alice to "donate" her daughter's life savings to a cult. Whatever other mysteries Riverdale is hanging onto, it's nice to know that Edgar really will be seen on the show. And hopefully, his appearance will also include a confrontation in which Betty gets her money back.