Westworld Season 2: Jimmi Simpson Reveals If He'll Return as William

WARNING! Spoilers Ahead!

Westworld wrapped season 1 by delivering a lot of the big reveals that we and a lot of other fans wanted to see. Now that we know William (Jimmi Simpson) ages and becomes The Man in Black (Ed Harris), the question of how his character fits into season 2 is one of the biggest ones on fans' minds.

We already got confirmation earlier in the season that Ed Harris is returning for Westworld season 2 (not surprising, considering where season 1 ended); however, will his younger self also be part of the storyline, once again following a two-pronged chronology? According to Simpson's interview with Vanity Fair, fans, unfortunately, won't be seeing any more of (young) William.

Asked straight-up if he was coming back for Westworld season 2, Simpson said "No... My William has served his purpose. As of now, I'll be done at the end of season 1."

Shows can always find a reason to amend their earlier plans if they find a character is liked enough by viewers (or valuable enough to the show's ratings). However, Simpson's younger version of William isn't a crucial player in the larger saga of Westworld; his main thrust was providing fans with the mystery of the two-timeline arc and a suitable backstory for MIB. That's been done: we now understand MIB in all his complexity, and have good setup for what he'll potentially become in season 2, as the hosts finally break loose of their chains and try to conquer Westworld.

In other words: we're going to need a bigger dramatic performance from Ed Harris in Westworld season 2, but only from Harris' version of William.

More Westworld: Did Ford Really Die The Man in Black Revealed / The Maze Revealed / Ford's New Narrative Revealed / WESTWORLD FINALE RECAP WITH SPOILERS

Westworld will return for season 2 on HBO in 2017.