Editor’s Note: the night is dark and full of potential spoilers, Game of Thrones fans. If you want to stay blissfully ignorant of hypotheticals and speculation, turn away now!
With filming for the seventh installment of HBO’s adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire underway, it was only a matter of time before casting confirmations, fan favorite returns, and other juicy tidbits would whip the internet into a frenzied state. After all, this is the penultimate season of Game of Thrones and we’re so far off-book that literally anything could happen. While that might make some folks nervous, it gives us plenty of tinfoil from which to craft our hats that we need to make potentially outlandish statements and speculatory inferences. Especially when it comes to Lyanna Mormont.
That’s right, everyone’s favorite teeny, tiny badass leader of an island has been confirmed to return in season seven, according to some paparazzi set photos we will not post here (if you’re one of those types, go ahead and click here)Â and this very adorable Instagram shot from Kristofer Hivju:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BK1M1JQAskO/
Elsewhere, other young guns are getting cast left and rightâeven a few Northerners that could play into a Jon Snow/Sansa Stark plot (hopefully teaming them up with the wee Mormont once more?). A redheaded girl was spotted on set a few weeks back and was noted to be Sansa Stark’s stunt double/stand-in. Apparently that is no longer the leading train of thought, as Watchers on the Wall reports she’s actually the girl who was cast in the role of “Northern Girl” for “a high-stakes scene with leading cast members.” Could the fake-marriage of fake-Sansa actually happen in season 7? Even with Ramsay Bolton gone? Hmm…
Elsewhere, a young lad named Joseph Quinn has confirmedâper his CVâthat he’ll be appearing a non-book character named “Koner,” though we’re unsure who he is or from where the character could be. A Young Griff, perhaps? Unlikely, but hey, stranger things have happened. (For reference, Joseph Quinn plays Arthur Havisham in the TV series Dickensian.)
And for the final role that’s been confirmed? Seems we’ve got another Frey in our midsts, as Paul Wardâpreviously of Vikings and Penny Dreadfulâhas been cast in a role dubbed as such. Maybe Arya’s going to have to deal with a few more of the Twins boys in the wake of murdering the family patriarch.
What do you think of the news? Have any theories? Let us know in the comments below.
Here’s what Cersei’s latest alliance may mean season 7:
Featured Image: HBO
Alicia Lutes is the Managing Editor of Nerdist, head Khaleesi of the editorial khalasar, and creator/co-host of Fangirling. Find her on Twitter!