Ian McShane looks mythically dapper in the first set photos from American Gods

By William Hughes | June 16, 2016 | 9:23pm

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Answering the age-old question, “What do you get when Ian McShane, Ricky Whittle, and a mohawk-wearing leprechaun walk into a bar shaped like a crocodile?”, Starz has released the first set photos from its upcoming American Gods. Hosted by Entertainment Weekly, the pictures depict an early scene from Neil Gaiman’s novel, in which protagonist Shadow Moon ends up in a bar fight with Mad Sweeney, a cantankerous American leprechaun (played by Orange Is The New Black’s Pablo Schrieber, who replaced Sean Harris in the part shortly before filming began).

Meanwhile, Shadow’s mysterious employer Wednesday (McShane) lounges in the background, watching the fight with an appraising eye. This is our first look at McShane’s version of Gaiman’s smooth-talking con man, with the photo suggesting a more refined, reserved air than then Sturm und Drang-laden characters he’s often played in the past. Presumably, we’ll know more about McShane’s take on the multi-faceted character when American Gods arrives on Starz next year.