Confirmed: A long-absent character will return for Game of Thrones season 7

First thing’s first: this post contains SPOILERS. If you don’t want to know spoilers, kindly make your way toward the exits.

Last night, the first episode of Game of Thrones season 7 — “Dragonstone” — premiered at a special event at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Between all the fashion and episode impressions, several people noticed Joe Dempsie, aka Gendry, in attendance.

The fact that Dempsie was at the premiere event doesn’t necessarily mean, by itself, that Gendry is returning for season 7. But then GQ came along. “GQ can confirm his character is back in season seven, although you’ll have to wait until mid-way through to find out the significance of his role,” it wrote when discussing its impressions of the premiere.

Dempsie himself also confirmed his return to the Los Angeles Times. He’s been excited by the fan response. “Very fortunately, from what I’ve seen it’s been nothing but interest and excitement and some quite witty memes,” he said.

Now, fans who have paid attention to SPOILERS in the off-season probably already knew that Gendry had stopped rowing and would turn back up on our TVs. But it’s good to have it confirmed. As for what role he could play, that’s more up in the air. Some fans think they’ve spotted him in the first season 7 trailer, hefting a war hammer like his father.

Note the guy with the hammer at 3 o’clock.

Another theory is that someone, probably Daenerys, could legitimize Gendry and use his claim to the Baratheon dynasty as leverage in the coming war.

Next: Watch a 20-minute animated pilot about the Doom of Valyria

We’ll find out specifics about Gendry at some point in season 7 — it doesn’t sound like he turns up in the premiere, at any rate.