Sure, Sean Bean would play Ned Stark again

TV’s Ned Stark has been dead for four seasons now, to say nothing of how long literature’s Ned Stark has been gone. Still, Sean Bean made an impression on fans when he played the character on Game of Thrones Season 1, and some still hope that he’ll return to the role.

“There’s been talk of Ned Stark coming back,” Bean said during a recent interview with Larry King on Ora TV. “But I don’t know how he could come back, maybe as a zombie.”

What about a prequel? “Flashbacks, yeah. Have a shave, make myself look a bit younger.”

Obviously, Bean is speculating here, but HBO President Michael Lombardo has said he’d be open to doing a Game of Thrones prequel series. If we eventually see Robert’s Rebellion depicted onscreen (big or small), there’s an opportunity for Sean Bean to come back, since Ned Stark figures heavily into that story.

On the other hand, Ned was quite a bit younger during Robert’s Rebellion than he was during Game of Thrones Season 1, and we’re not sure a shave would make the 56-year-old actor look young enough to pull it off. However, why not cast him as Rickard Stark, Ned’s father? Just throwing ideas out there, HBO.

Check out the full interview with Larry King, in which Bean touches on other areas of his career, below. And then, watch out for SPOILERS.

Just because Sean Bean probably won’t be seen again on Game of Thrones doesn’t mean that Ned Stark won’t. By our count, he’ll make at least two appearances in Season 6. A 13-year-old actor named Sebastian Croft is heavily rumored to be playing a very young Ned Stark. If A Dance with Dragons is any indication, Bran will use his newfound powers to peer into the past and see his young father practicing with a wooden sword in Winterfell.

Later, we’ll see a slightly older Ned Stark in battle at the Tower of Joy, likely played by Eddie Eyre. Odds are that we’ll see this scene through Bran’s eyes, as well.

Will Sean Bean ever play Ned Stark again? Seems unlikely, but the character is about to have a big year.

h/t Comicbook.com