Marilyn Manson Cast as a Viking Death Metal Singer on American Gods

These days, it seems like Marilyn Manson is spending as much time acting as he is making music. Why, this year alone, he’s already booked roles on HBO’s The New Pope and the CBS adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand. (He also pretends to be a singer sometimes. OH!)

Now Deadline reports that Manson will join the cast of American Gods, the Starz series based on Neil Gaiman’s novel, for four episodes of its third season. The man born Brian Warner “will play blood-thirsty Johan Wengren,  lead singer of the Viking death metal band Blood Death… a source of power for the Ian McShane-portrayed Mr. Wednesday in his war with the New Gods.”

Both Deadline and Digital Spy praise the casting choice as being “well within the shock rocker’s wheelhouse” and “hardly surprising,” respectively, which I assume is because neither outlet actually knows much about metal. But Manson as a Viking seems weird. I mean, can the dude even grow facial hair? Did anyone even think to approach Johan Hegg about this role? He has acting experience too, y’know!

The third season of American Gods will debut in 2020.

Amon Amarth are on tour this fall! Get tickets here.