Struan Rodger has joined the cast of Game of Thrones season 4, but which character will he play? Reportedly, someone whom readers weren’t expecting to meet so soon.

While Game of Thrones season 4 has already added all of its new major players, it seems a few minor roles are still being added for later episodes.

One such role has gone to actor Struan Rodger (Chariots of Fire, Stardust), who Winter is Coming reports will be playing the part of the “Three-Eyed Raven,” and will appear in multiple season 4 episodes.

Unsullied Game of Thrones fans, proceed with caution, for mild spoilers be ahead.

The Three-Eyed raven is of course already a character on the show – it’s an actual raven, which has appeared in Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright)’s visions.

Therefore, WiC draws the logical conclusion that Rodger is in fact playing the role of Lord Brynden Rivers, better known as Bloodraven.

As A Song of Ice and Fire readers know, the Bloodraven plays a very significant role in Bran’s storyline, but in the novels, he does not appear until the fifth book, A Dance With Dragons.

And as readers also know, the character is still shrouded in mystery.

The decision to include the character as early as Game of Thrones season 4 (which roughly spans the second half of the third novel, A Storm of Swords) probably means that Bran, Meera (Ellie Kendrick) and Jojen (Thomas Brodie-Sangster)’s storyline will be heavily advanced.

But will this mean that TV show fans might actually learn more about the character than the book readers currently know? Or will his character merely appear as a vehicle for pushing Bran’s journey forward, staying in the shadows like he has been so far in the books?

Share your thoughts on this surprising Game of Thrones casting news in the comments!

Game of Thrones season 4 premieres spring 2014 on HBO.