His Dark Materials star promises "love, loss, death" in "darker" season 3

Wilson said: "I think it's a lot darker, a lot sadder. It's definitely more emotional. I think it was definitely harder to film. There's a lot more going on, I think the introduction of a lot more characters as well. It's a lot to look forward to."

Asked to describe the new season in three words, Wilson ominously chose "love, loss and death".

Meanwhile, one of the series' executive producers, Jane Tranter, said: "I think it's bigger. It's certainly bigger, it's certainly a little darker, but it's also more romantic.

"The third season of His Dark Materials is when all the questions of season 1 and season 2 finally are answered. But it's when we also start exploring the theme of love, romantic love, and love between mother and child, father and son. And I would say it's more thrills and spills than season 1 and 2 have been."

A specific airdate has not yet been confirmed for the fantasy series' autumn return, but here's hoping we don't have long to wait to see how it all plays out.

For now, we were given our first glimpses at the new season in an HBO trailer late last year, including the full return of James McAvoy’s Lord Asriel.

Additional reporting by Huw Fullerton.

Enjoy more chats with the stars at the Radio Times Covers Party 2022 in the new issue of Radio Times magazine, on sale Tuesday 5th April – subscribe now to get each issue delivered to your door. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey.

His Dark Materials season 3 is coming this autumn to BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer now. You can buy all three His Dark Materials novels on Amazon here.

Want something else to watch? Check out our full TV Guide, or our Fantasy hub for all the latest news and features.