In what might go down as the most natural bit of casting in Hollywood history, shock rocker Marilyn Manson has been added to the cast of American Gods for its upcoming third season, according to Deadline. And who is the controversy-loving Manson playing? That would be Johan Wengren, “lead singer of the Viking death metal band Blood Death.” Wengren is a servant to Ian McShane’s Odin, who’s waging war against the upstart “new gods.”
This isn’t the first time Manson has flexed his acting muscles. He was actually pretty solid as a White Supremacist leader on FX’s Sons of Anarchy, and has an undisclosed role in CBS All Access’ upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand. He’s also one of the few people who can pull off wearing a bunch of red rubes with white straps. The man is diverse.
American Gods newest showrunner, Chic Eglee, laid out some of the details:
"As a long-time admirer of his estimable talent as an author, artist, musician and actor, it is dope indeed to be working with Mr. Manson in Season 3 of American Gods. Bringing his specific energy, wit and boundless enthusiasm for all-things-Neil Gaiman to the role of Johan, a Norse ‘berserker’ in service to Odin, his performance promises to be disturbing, original and uniquely entertaining."
Dope indeed.
Based on Neil Gaiman’s award-winning novel of the same name, American Gods’ first season aired in 2017, back when Bryan Fuller and Michael Green were running the show. In season 2, Jesse Alexander took after after Fuller and Green departed over budgetary concerns. Alexander departed after season 2, which is where Eglee comes in. The show has gone through some shake-ups, but it’s still trucking, and the cast promises that season 3 will be the best yet. Expect it some time in 2020.
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