Jake Johnson will once again be stepping behind the bar in his next television role as the actor joins the cast of ABC’s fall 2019 series Stumptown. The series is adapted from the comic book of the same name by Greg Rucka and Matthew Southworth, about Dex Parios (Cobie Smulders), a military vet who has returned home to Portland, Oregon to work as a private investigator and care for her brother Ansel. Given the show’s comic book origins, plus the fact that its star makes frequent appearances in the MCU, it stands to reason Stumptown may be a hit for the Alphabet Network in the fall.
Johnson is no stranger to the world of comic book adaptations, either, as he most recently voiced the world-weary Peter Parker in the animated hit Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. While that was an unlikely but smart casting choice made by the movie, Johnson is likely best known for his work on FOX’s New Girl, where he played the lovable schlub Nick Miller for seven seasons. That series ended in 2018, and since then, Johnson’s been keeping busy with roles in Tag, To Plant a Flag, Drunk History, and season 3 of Netflix’s Easy, which was created by his frequent collaborator Joe Swanberg.
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As reported by TVLine, Johnson joins Stumptown in the role of Grey McConnell, the owner of a local watering hole and longtime friend of Dex. Though they’re friendly with one another, apparently there’s some underlying romantic tension between Grey and Dex, meaning Johnson may once again find himself in a will-they or won’t-they situation. In addition to Smulders, Johnson joins a cast that includes Michael Ealy and Camryn Manheim.
Interestingly enough, Johnson’s casting means he’s replacing Mark Webber (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World), who was previously cast in the role of Grey. Reasons for the recasting weren’t reported, but such a thing is not uncommon as new series often find new actors who may ultimately be a better fit for the show as it starts to come together beyond the pilot. Johnson’s New Girl co-star Max Greenfield, who replaced Josh Lawson in the CBS sitcom The Neighborhood after its pilot had already been filmed.
Though Stumptown isn’t a comedy, Johnson will likely fit right in, perhaps bringing moments of levity to what is presumably a Castle-like procedural drama. If his roles in Jurassic World and Win It All (let’s just forget about The Mummy) are any indication, he’ll be an asset to an anticipated fall series.
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Stumptown will air Wednesday nights @10pm on ABC.
Source: TVLine
