Rumors of Jason Ritter‘s Matlock departure have been significantly exaggerated. Ritter rising a mustache and being solid within the upcoming DC Lanterns sequence has spurred theories that he received’t be in Matlock Season 2 (the freshman CBS drama scored the primary renewal of the autumn 2024 season in October). The actor addressed fan hypothesis with TV Insider at PaleyFest 2025 in Hollywood this week, confirming that he will probably be again for Matlock‘s second season.
Lanterns is a DC Comics sequence linked to Inexperienced Lantern coming to HBO in 2026. Within the time since Ritter’s casting on March 14, theories have popped up arguing that Ritter’s casting, plus the mustache he’s rising for the function, are indicators that he’s altering his look as a result of Lanterns will quickly be his major gig.
The idea is that Ritter’s Matlock character, Julian Markston Jr., is the perpetrator Kathy Bates‘ Matty is on the lookout for in her Wellbrexa investigation. These viewers imagine Julian will probably be discovered responsible of hiding the doc that led to opioids being saved available on the market and that this reveal will someway result in Ritter’s exit from the sequence.
Ritter confirmed to TV Insider that he will probably be in Matlock Season 2, addressing mustache-gate.
“[My mustache is] for an additional present that I’m engaged on referred to as Lanterns,” Ritter stated, chuckling. “Mustaches could be shaved off. As quickly as I’m achieved [with Lanterns], I’m again to Matlock.”
And there you may have it! It doesn’t negate the speculation that Julian might be the one who hid the doc, but it surely does cancel out the chance that the actor will exit the sequence after Season 1.
Showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman advised TV Insider that the Season 1 finale will reveal who hid the doc.
“You get the reply to that central query, after which, we push ahead into the following season,” she stated.
Prepare for extra twists and turns within the bumpy however thrilling last episodes of Matlock Season 1.
Matlock, Returns Thursday, April 3, 9/8c, CBS
— Reporting by Michael Maloney