The progress on the TV version of Neil Gaiman's American Gods has so far – in its current incarnation at least – been pretty spectacular, with Bryan Fuller and Michael Green taking charge and fans embracing the casting of Ricky Whittle as Shadow Moon. Now comes some even better news: Fuller and his team have added Ian McShane as Mr. Wednesday.
In the novel, chronicling the struggle between the gods of old (mythological legends from around the world) and new (reflecting modern society's love for money, technology and celebrity, among other things), Shadow is trying to come to grips with his suddenly changing life and his connection with the Norse god Odin. Described as a crafty, charismatic con man bursting with weird wisdom, strange magic and big schemes, Mr. Wednesday is the other main character in the book, who hires Shadow to be his bodyguard on his quest to recruit others like him in a battle for power.
This represents McShane's second time in a Gaiman-derived project, following 2009's Coraline, and it's certainly pleased the author.
“When you write a beloved character (beloved with, or despite, or because of all his faults) like Mr. Wednesday, you get to watch the internet trying to cast the role," Gaiman says. "I've seen a hundred names suggested, but few make me grin like Ian McShane does. I've already been lucky enough to have him in one film (he was bright blue in it, animated, and probably Polish). Now I count myself even luckier: he's made the journey from Lovejoy to American Gods. Yesterday was Super Tuesday. Today is Wonderful Wednesday.”
The show should be on screens next year, but this latest piece of good news will make it that much harder to wait. But we won't have to be too patient for the return of McShane to our screens in something big, as he's part of the cast for the new season of Game Of Thrones, due in April.