Ashleigh Murray To Star In CW’s ‘Nancy Drew’ Spinoff ‘Tom Swift’

Ashleigh Murray has been cast in the upcoming “Nancy Drew” spinoff series “Tom Swift” as the best friend of the titular character that will be played by Tian Richards.

The “Riverdale” alum will play the character Zenzi Fullerton, the female lead of the upcoming CW series, Deadline reported.

Fullerton’s character is described as “efficient and effervescent, but nobody’s fool. She’s been Tom’s best friend since childhood and considers him family — and she’s one of the few people who can keep up with Tom and read him for filth, when necessary,” according to TVLine.

Prior to “Tom Swift,” Murray also starred in the spinoff series, “Katy Keene,” where she reprised her "Riverdale" role as Josie McCoy.

Co-created by Cameron Johnson, Melinda Hsu Taylor and Noga Landau, “Tom Swift” follows the story of a gay, billionaire inventor who learns to navigate the world of unexplained phenomena and sci-fi conspiracy following the disappearance of his father. Tom leaves the comfort of his lavish lifestyle as he goes on a quest to find his father. In the series, he will fight with a group that is bent on stopping him on his quest for truth.

While the rest of the characters of “Nancy Drew” were cast during its first season, the TV network introduced the character of Tom Swift only in season 2 as an unconventional backdoor pilot.

Johnson, Landau and Taylor will also serve as executive producers of “Tom Swift” along with Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage and Lis Rowinski. “Tom Swift” is a production of CBS Studios in association with Fake Empire.

Richards told TVLine in May 2021 that the present-day Tom Swift is a modern-day take of a well-loved, classic literary character.

“The original Tom Swift was great for his time and what he represented. At the time, that was the face of young boys, All-American kids full of possibilities. But in 2021, that can look so different. It can look like someone like me — a Black guy who is chocolate, who is queer, who is all those things that we’re told aren’t the normal or the status quo,” he said.

“I had representation here and there, but it was usually a secondary character, or you felt like they were being stereotyped. Tom gets to exist in all of his beauty and pride,” he added.