With Lethal Weapon's original co-lead Clayne Crawford exiting the series following the tumultuous events that occurred filming the show's second season, the presence of Martin Riggs' needed a replacement. Enter Seann William Scott, who will be the co-lead of the series when Lethal Weapon returns for its third season. Until now, nothing much was known about Scott's role with the series, including if he was a recast. That is now changing thanks in part to the casting of Psych's Maggie Lawson, in a crucial role.
First up, Seann William Scott will be playing a new character when he makes his Lethal Weapon debut. That's right, Scott will not be a Riggs recast. Scott will instead play Wesley Cole -- a war veteran and a father. Wesley and Maggie Lawson's Natalie Flynn, an emergency room surgeon, share a son together. Said son is the result of Wesley and then-medic Natalie's brief romance in an active war zone. Flash forward ten years, and Wesley has moved to L.A. so he can be closer to Natalie and their son, per Deadline's exclusive.
Considering the ten years part in the description, we can likely deduce that Wesley and Natalie's son will be around ten-years-old. Given his move to L.A. and his career background; Wesley's job as the partner of Damon Wayans' Murtaugh should naturally fall into place from there. While different last names may seem to rule out the potential of Seann William Scott's character being related to Martin Riggs', they could be half-siblings. We may know for sure if there is any relation between the characters when Season 3 premieres.
For now, it seems like Lethal Weapon could be making a clean break from Riggs. As for what sounds like Seann William Scott's Wesley's potential love interest, Maggie Lawson is joining the series in a recurring capacity. And hers and Scott's screen energy should be quite palatable. All told, the details surrounding Lethal Weapon's new co-lead sound sweet and exciting.
This character appears tailor-made for the equally dramatic and comically skilled actor. Based on these details alone, it is beyond easy to envision Seann William Scott playing this role and absolutely nailing it. A silver screen regular ever since his breakout role in American Pie, Scott has been an underrated movie highlight for years. So it will be cool to have him as part of television's ever-growing landscape of movie stars.
Now it will be up to Lethal Weapon fans to decide how they feel once they see the new co-leads in action together. On paper, it sounds like a great match. On camera, that could be a different story. Whether fans will accept the new co-lead is another question, fall will tell us.
Lethal Weapon Season 3 premieres Tuesday, September 25 at 9 p.m. ET on Fox. For new television shows coming soon, check out CinemaBlend's guide to TV's summer premieres.
