Through the first season of HBO’s Westworld, Ed Harris’ currently unnamed character, “the Man in Black” has been one of the show’s most compelling figures and an instantly iconic TV villain. While there are still two episodes left in the first season, the fate of Harris’ character remains unknown. But we do know that Harris is absolutely coming back for the recently announced second season.
Via SlashFilm, Harris confirmed his return to Westworld while speaking with BBC Radio 4. When asked about the series, Harris mentioned that co-creator and executive producer Jonathan Nolan had recently spoken with him about the upcoming season. “You know, as a matter of fact, I was just talking to Jonah Nolan last night, who’s a creator of this thing with his wife Lisa Joy, and yeah, they’re doing another season,” said Harris. “They’re going to do ten more episodes, and I will be involved.”
“Involved” doesn’t neccessarily mean “heavily involved,” and it’s possible that Harris picked his words carefully to avoid any spoilers. Whether that means his character lives or dies is up on the air, but we’re going to at least see him again in the second season.
Related: HBO Renews ‘Westworld’ For Season 2
Last night’s eighth episode of Westworld actually shed a lot of light on Harris’ Man in Black without sharing his name. We already knew that he’s a VIP with almost unlimited access to the park, and that his foundation in the real world is responsible for saving lives. But within the world of the game, the Man in Black is far more vicious than the avegerage “guest.” It turns out that his attempted slaughter of Maeve and her daughter was the first time that he actually tried to give into his darker impulses following the implied suicide of his wife. The Man in Black has spent most of this season looking for a maze within Westworld that could unlock the secrets of the park.
Because of the lengthy production time, Westworld season 2 may slip until late 2017 or 2018.
What are your theories about the Man in Black on this show? Let us know in the comment section below!
Photo Credit: HBO
