Yesterday the Internet was presented with incredible new facts, of which it then realized it was largely aware, having to do with a fan theory regarding Game Of Thrones—a theory that, as with all things Game Of Thrones, could be considered a spoiler, even in the purely hypothetical. That theory, known as “R+L=J,” posits that Jon Snow’s true father isn’t Ned Stark, but rather Rhaegar Targaryen, who conceived Snow by making a little man out of his tears and then abandoning it. (And also by having sex with Ned’s sister, Lyanna.) And though it’s yet to be officially confirmed, it’s a belief that’s backed by numerous hints throughout the books—and now even Sean Bean has thrown his support behind it, asserting that he also believes Jon Snow’s true father has yet to be revealed. Bean’s statements could also be a spoiler. This whole world is a spoiler.
In an interview with Vulture, Bean is asked whether he would be up for returning to the show for the flashbacks that Bran may or may not be having in the upcoming season. But more than just agreeing that returning would be a lot of fun, Bean also thinks it’s entirely necessary:
And that should happen, shouldn’t it? I’ve definitely got some unfinished business that needs to be resolved there. I’m obviously not Jon Snow’s dad. And you need that to be revealed at some point, don’t you? So Bran would kind of be the one having the flashback, and he would see Ned praying, right? And revealing those things? You never know what those guys are going to do with that. It’s got to be something special. But I’m into that. I certainly would be into that. Print that! Give them a nudge. [Laughs.] Hopefully I’ll get a call soon.
Of course, there’s some semantics to parse there—beginning with Sean Bean saying he’s obviously not Jon Snow’s dad, which no one but the most deranged Game Of Thrones fan with an especially loose grip on reality has ever suggested. But as Uproxx points out, he also said something similar to Vulture back in 2011, when he declared, “Ned really knows who [Jon’s parents are], but he can’t let on… Even if I were his true father, I can’t talk about it for fear of offending my wife, who’s really bitter about this. So it’s really a cruel situation.”
So it seems either Bean was told early on that his character wasn’t actually Jon’s father to give him the proper motivation, or, like so many, he’s just spent a lot of time reading and talking about Game Of Thrones on the web. Either way, the message is clear: Sean Bean would like to return to the show and not get killed this time, please.