The world of television production is having a major boom right now, the TV renaissance is showing no signs of slowing. Some of the best acting roles are now on the small screen, leading to film stars making the transition over to TV. Perhaps no show is a better example of this than HBO's Westworld, which became a hit as soon as it debuted in October of 2016. Ed Harris is one of the show's lead actors, playing the villainous Man in Black. With Season 2 just days away, Harris recently spoke to how his character would be different in the show's second season and beyond. He said,
I see him as a protagonist actually, yes. Particularly this season. The maze is [...] history. He's on a whole other track this year, and I think the track that he's on definitely makes him a protagonist. I'm worried about Season 3, to tell you the truth. . . . [He] becomes less mysterious. We learn more about him.
Now this is interesting. It looks like the Man in Black will become a more important character this season, rather than being a mysterious and menacing presence in the park. Considering the nightmare that Westworld has become in the final moments of Season 1, there are a ton of possibilities for how he might change in the show's sophomore run.
Ed Harris' comments to Indie Wire show how far ahead Westworld is planning its content, as Ed Harris already knows details about what's to come in Season 3. This also has the potential to change how we see the show's second season, knowing Harris is already set to return for Season 3. Because while the park may now actually be a dangerous place for the visitors, we can presume Harris' character survives it all.
The upcoming change for the Man in Black is likely the rest of the Season 1 finale plot twist revolving around the timelines. While some fans spotted it early on, it was revealed that William (Jimmi Simpson) and the Man in Black were the same character, interacting with Dolores at different points in time. With that revelation out of the way, Ed Harris' character can finally become more human, likely resulting in a more fascinating run in Westworld's second season.
While the mystery revolving around the maze has been solved, there is still plenty of craziness happening within Westworld. Dolores and the retired hosts have ascended upon the gusest, revealing their new abilities to hurt and kill the living. The Man in Black is finally vulnerable to the robots he'd tormented for so many years, so he's going to have to think fast and act faster to survive his latest visit to the park.
Westworld will return to HBO on April 22, 2018. In the meantime, check out our midseason premiere list to plan your next binge watch. Plus our superhero premiere list and Amazon premiere list to ensure you don't miss a single episode.
