(Spoilers, obviously.) There has been a lot of speculation about Ian McShane’s role in the upcoming season. In November, McShane trolled fans by saying, “I am responsible for bringing somebody back that you think you’re never going to see again. I’ll leave it at that.”
Appearing on the BBC’s Breakfast, McShane got more specific about his role, saying, “My character really is like an ex-warrior who’s become a peacenik, so I have a group of peaceful … sort of a cult who … I bring back a much-loved character who everybody thinks is dead.” As the GoT fan site Watchers on the Wall notes, that jibes with this casting call:
Priest, in his 40’s or 50’s. A gruff ex-soldier who found religion. Now a no-nonsense rural priest who ministers to the poor of the countryside. He’s salt-of-the-earth man who has weathered many battles.
But MacShane didn’t stop there. Appearing on Radio 5, McShane got even more specific. Asked if the character he was bringing back was Sandor “The Hound” Clegane or Jon Snow, MacShane laughed along and gave a knowing answer: “I’ll leave you with that one. I think you might guess which one that is. It’s not the latter. It might be the former.”
So there you have it: Ian McShane is playing Septon Meribald and The Hound is coming back.