Remember when you were excited about American Gods, and then—perhaps somewhere in the slog of season two, when the show’s behind the scenes turmoil began to catch up with it—you started feeling like it was a chore to watch? Some casting news for season three might not turn your heard around.

Or maybe it will, if you’re a fan of iconoclastic musician Marilyn Manson, who’s racked up quite a few acting credits over the years, some of them placing him in unexpected places (Sons of Anarchy, The New Pope). But his role on the Neil Gaiman Starz series feels a little on the nose, at least according to this Deadline report that describes it:

No stranger to the small screen, the Sons of Anarchy alum will play blood-thirsty Johan Wengren, lead singer of the Viking death metal band Blood Death — well within the shock rocker’s wheelhouse. Wengren and Blood Death are also a source of power for the Ian McShane-portrayed Mr. Wednesday in his war with the New Gods.

Manson will be on the show for four episodes, so maybe there’ll be enough time for his character to show some surprising layers that don’t feel like typecasting? American Gods’ third showrunner in three seasons, Chic Eglee, told Deadline “[Manson’s] performance promises to be disturbing, original and uniquely entertaining.”

So far there’s no word on when American Gods will return to Starz—perhaps for a season that more resembles the promise of season one?—but sometime in late 2020 seems like a decent guess.


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