Starz’s American Gods Casts Its Mr. Wednesday

We already knew that The 100′s Ricky Whittle was cast in the lead role of Shadow Moon in the upcoming Starz series American Gods, based on the novel by Neil Gaiman. Today, Starz announced casting for the other lead role in the series – that of Shadow’s traveling partner, Mr. Wednesday.

Actor Ian McShane, whom you may know from Deadwood, American Horror Story, and who will also figure prominently in the upcoming season of Game of Thrones, has been cast in the role.  For those who have not yet read the book, The Hollywood Reporter describes the story and Mr. Wednesday like this:

The drama centers on a war brewing between old and new gods: the traditional gods of biblical and mythological roots from around the world steadily losing believers to an upstart pantheon of gods reflecting society’s modern love of money, technology, media, celebrity and drugs. Its protagonist, Shadow Moon (The 100’s Ricky Whittle), is an ex-con who becomes bodyguard and traveling partner to Mr. Wednesday, a con man but in reality one of the older gods, on a cross-country mission to gather his forces in preparation for a battle with the new deities.

Mr. Wednesday is described as powerful and charismatic — a Casanova of sorts — who is a con man and an incarnation of All-Father Odin, who’s traveling America recruiting his fellow forgotten deities to wage an epic battle 
against the new American gods.

Bryan Fuller is Executive Producing and showrunning along with Michael Green, and production on the series is set to begin in April.

Meanwhile, it seems that both Fuller and Gaiman are ecstatic about landing Mr. McShane:

What do you think about this casting news? Did this just make today a #WonderfulWednesday for you? Tell us in the comments below!

(image via Ricky Brigante/Flickr)

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Teresa Jusino

Teresa Jusino (she/her) is a native New Yorker and a proud Puerto Rican, Jewish, bisexual woman with ADHD. She's been writing professionally since 2010 and was a former TMS assistant editor from 2015-18. Now, she's back as a contributing writer. When not writing about pop culture, she's writing screenplays and is the creator of your future favorite genre show. Teresa lives in L.A. with her brilliant wife. Her other great loves include: Star Trek, The Last of Us, anything by Brian K. Vaughan, and her Level 5 android Paladin named Lal.

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