Ever since we learned Jim Broadbent will have a "significant" role in Game of Thrones season seven we’ve been pondering who the British acting legend will play. And it seems our theories were pretty much bang on.

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While speaking to Screencrush about the upcoming HBO series, Broadbent revealed some surprisingly specific details about his character: “I’m a maester, an archmaester. I’m an old professor character.”

That already gives us plenty of clues, but Broadbent went on, saying he’ll appear in five of the seven upcoming episodes and that he’ll have a “major scene” in each one.

And that’s not all. He also let slip a few more facts that could be crucial for the next series. Seriously, if you don’t want to know then turn back now.

Last chance…

Okay: Broadbent will feature in scenes with John Bradley’s Sam Tarley, which means he'll probably be playing a main character from the books, Maester Marwyn. He's a skilled, strange and sometimes violent master who has explored the Seven Kingdoms in search for magical knowledge.

His role in the story? In George RR Martin’s book A Feast for Crows, Tarley tells Marwyn all he’s seen beyond the Wall with the White Walkers. Then, on learning about Daenerys and her dragons, Marwyn then sets off to go find the Khaleesi without explanation.

So, could Broadbent appear by Emilia Clarke’s side during the upcoming series? It’s unlikely. The actor said he shot all of his scenes in the studio in Belfast and wasn’t involved in any CGI sequences. That probably means he spends this series nattering to Sam in the Citadel before leaving and meeting with Dany at the start of the final series.

Still, we’ve got a fair few months to speculate...

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Game of Thrones is expected to return in summer 2017

Authors

Thomas LingDigital editor, BBC Science Focus

Thomas is Digital editor at BBC Science Focus. Writing about everything from cosmology to anthropology, he specialises in the latest psychology, health and neuroscience discoveries. Thomas has a Masters degree (distinction) in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield and has written for Men’s Health, Vice and Radio Times. He has been shortlisted as the New Digital Talent of the Year at the national magazine Professional Publishers Association (PPA) awards. Also working in academia, Thomas has lectured on the topic of journalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students at The University of Sheffield.

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