Director Kevin Smith has snagged another Mallrats alumnus to return for the comedy’s upcoming sequel. This time it’s actor Ethan Suplee, who will be reprising his role as Willam Black in Mallrats 2. As with the earlier castings, Smith took to social media to announce Suplee signing on, and it came with an amusing background calling back to what Willam spent the whole day doing in the first movie.
As you can see, Smith posted on Instagram Suplee not only giving the trademark Mallrats peace sign, but also poorly photoshopped onto a generic dock background with a sailboat traversing the waters. For those who don’t understand the reference, Suplee’s character spent the entirety of Mallrats staring at a Magic Eye poster hiding a 3D sailboat. Whether he focused intently or relaxed his gaze, he was unable make out the image while everyone else did it with ease. Check out Willam’s first scene in the movie below to get a sense of his frustration and determination to see that pesky sailboat.
In addition to Willam, other roles that Suplee has played in Smith’s View Askewniverse include a comic book fan in Chasing Amy and a drug-buying teen in Clerks II, as well as voicing Noman the Gogothan in Dogma. Longtime TV viewers will also recognize him for his roles in Boy Meets World and My Name Is Earl.
Ethan Suplee is the seventh actor who will be reprising his role for Mallrats 2. Other actors already announced to return include the director himself as Silent Bob; Jason Mewes as Jay (because you can’t have Silent Bob without his foul-mouthed, hetero life mate); Michael Rooker as Jared Svenning; Shannen Dohtery as Rene Mosier; Jason Lee as Brodie Bruce; and comic book legend Stan Lee as, of course, himself. That leaves five original cast members left to bring back, although Smith hasn’t disclosed who they are. Likely candidates include Jeremy London’s T.S. Quint, Claire Forlanti’s Brandi Svenning, Joey Lauren Adams’ Gwen Turner and Renee Humphrey’s Tricia Jones. Then-newcomer Ben Affleck also appeared as Shannon Hamilton in the movie, though he may be too busy these days fighting crime dressed like a bat to return to the mall.
Mallrats 2 is now scheduled to begin filming once Smith is finished shooting Clerks III - though we don’t expect the movie to hit theaters before 2016.
