Risen from the dead: are we witnessing Ned Stark’s return to the “Game of Thrones” universe?

• Actor Sean Bean played the likable Ned Stark, Lord of Winterfell in “Game of Thrones” Season 1.
• Already at the end of the 1st season, his character met a death that was shocking for many fans at the time.
• Now, in an interview, Bean talks about his keen interest in returning to George RR Martin’s universe.

It has been more than a decade since Sean Bean starred as the Lord of Winterfell on Season 1 of HBO’s Game of Thrones. Although Ned Stark was introduced as the main character of the fantasy series for most of Season 1, it was in the finale that he got his hands on it. Now the Hollywood actor has commented on a possible return to his popular role and the series epic.

In an interview with the US online magazine Screen Rant, Sean Bean has now spoken about the prospect of future participation in other “Game of Thrones” spin-offs. Here he states that if it were up to him, he would love to be involved in the fantasy universe again. He would even like to slip back into his old role of Ned Stark if she offered an opportunity.

However, it already cost him his head in the first season. Even though it’s been a few years, we still remember that shocking scene in the Season 1 finale when the sadistic Joffrey Baratheon Stark unceremoniously chopped off Stark’s head. A return after the events of the main series would therefore be rather impossible, although it would not be the first time that dead people would return to life in GoT.

But how likely is Ned Stark to return in a Game of Thrones spin-off? Of course, it’s never to say never with HBO and George RR Martin, but it’s unlikely we’ll be following the character again.

The story of Ned Stark was finally told in GoT so far. After all, we not only got to watch his death, but through seasons 6 and 7 Flashbacks starring actors Sebastian Croft and Robert Aramayo also part of Stark’s backstory.

So there is rather little book material left that could be processed again into a separate story in series form without repeating itself.

Of course, series creators could simply decide to lend a hand and write completely new and original material, but in the past this has not been so well received by the seasoned GoT fans. The last two seasons of the otherwise popular fantasy series in particular have been criticized for the strong free flight far away from Martin’s source material.

While Sean Bean’s return as Ned Stark remains in doubt, it’s still good to know that the actor would be available to return. Maybe Martin, who recently co-wrote the adaptation “House of the Dragon”, will still find a way to bring back the popular Lord of Winterfell.