Fans have been getting updates about Riverdale season 5 even though the teen drama is not airing until next year on The CW. Now, viewers get another glimpse of what the latest installment will look like after the showrunner dropped a new poster teasing a zombie storyline or someone is back from the dead.
Just recently, showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa shared the latest poster of Riverdale season 5 on Twitter. The image featured a gnarly, zombie-like hand coming out of the grave, and the creepy Sweetwater River can be seen in the background.
What makes the photo even more ominous is that Aguirre-Sacasa wrote in the caption: "Nothing stays buried forever." This is seemingly a hint that someone from the past -- presumably dead -- is coming back and will shake up the course of the story.
Fans were quick to react as to who could potentially return in the series' fifth outing. One fan speculated that it could be Jason Blossom (Trevor Stines), while another one suspected it could be related to either Hal Cooper (Lochlyn Munro) or Penny Peabody (Brit Morgan).
However, it remains to be seen whether Riverdale season 5 will literally bring back someone from the dead. Over the past four seasons, the series shied away from supernatural elements -- unlike its sister series, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
Considering the 7-year time jump in the upcoming installment, the teen drama may go in a different direction and try new genres. Previously, Aguirre-Sacasa also shared a script artwork hinting at the potential death of KJ Apa's Archie Andrews.
Although it's unclear whether both posters were connected, Riverdale season 5 could adapt the events of Afterlife with Archie. The comic book features the alternative reality of the fictional town, set at the onset of a zombie apocalypse.
This might be related to the poster, but it would be too much drastic step for the series to have a "zombie storyline" so late. So while such a story might be potentially incorporated, the recent poster could just be a metaphor to further hype up fans' excitement.
Rather than resurrecting or bringing someone back from the dead, the image might be tied to someone who's long gone and suddenly shows up. There are many potential candidates out there, and considering the series' nature, the fifth installment may deliver yet another unexpected twist.
Riverdale season 5 has no official release date, but the teen drama is slated to return sometime in 2021 on The CW.
