Confirmed: Ed Harris Will Return For 'Westworld' Season 2

Westworld has a lot of questions to answer before season one wraps up, and now that we've heard the show's been renewed, we can be sure there will be even more mysteries to come next year. But we can put one big question about season two to rest right now. Yes, Ed Harris has confirmed that he will be back for Westworld season two. 

Harris spilled the beans during an appearance on BBC Radio 4. (Hat tip to /Film reader John for bringing this to our attention.) During a larger discussion of Harris' stage work, conversation turned to Westworld. "Yeah, you know, as a matter of fact, I was just talking to Jonah Nolan last night, who's a creator of this thing with his wife Lisa Joy, and yeah, they're doing another season," he said. "They're going to do ten more episodes, and I will be involved."

Harris plays the Man in Black, a frequent visitor to the park. In the real world, this unnamed VIP runs a foundation devoted to saving lives, and within the park, he's become obsessed with the idea of finding a maze that he believes will unlock some sort of deeper layer to the park. Whether he looks like a sadistic brute who delights in tormenting the park's hosts, or just an elite gamer eager to advance to the next level, or kind of both at the same time, seems to depend on your perspective.

But the character is just as intriguing for all the things we don't know about him. Fans began speculating early on that Westworld was actually following two timelines, roughly 30 years apart, and that Jimmi Simpson's character William would eventually become Harris' Man in Black. If true, this reveals a lot about the Man in Black's past, as William is the executive vice president of a company that's looking to acquire Westworld.

Season one still has three episodes left, and based on the last few installments it looks like things are only going to get crazier and more intense. So is Harris' confirmed return for season two a big fat spoiler saying he'll survive season one? Not necessarily. For starters, the show seems to like playing around with time (e.g., the two-timelines theory mentioned above). For another, the park apparently takes DNA from all its guests, which they could theoretically use to create hosts.

So rest easy — we now know for sure that one of the very best parts of Westworld season one will be back for Westworld season two, without knowing anything more about the massive plot twists to come in the rest of season one. Westworld season two will premiere sometime in 2017 or 2018.