'The Walking Dead's Michael Rooker Cast In 'True Detective' Season 3

HBO's celebrated crime anthology series, True Detective, is filled with twists and turns, almost all of which revolve around the narrative of the series itself. However, during the most recent episode of the show's third season on Sunday night, viewers got a glimpse at a very familiar face, which revealed a surprise casting that no one saw coming.

During the episode, a photo of the mysterious billionaire named Hoyt, owner of Hoyt Foods, was shown on a wall behind the main characters. If you looked closely at the photo, it seemed as though The Walking Dead and Guardians of the Galaxy star Michael Rooker had taken on the role of Hoyt.

There was no confirmation during the episode as to whether or not Rooker had been added to the show's cast. However, according to Vanity Fair, HBO later confirmed that it was indeed Rooker in the photo, and that he would be appearing in the show.

It's unclear exactly what sort of character Hoyt will be on True Detective, but it seems like he's being set up to be one of the bigger villains of the season. Hoyt and his empire were just talked about for most of the season to this point, but the latest episode finally brought his story into the fold.

The main plot of the season surrounds the disappearance of Julie Purcell, who went missing when she was just a child. It had previously been revealed that young Julie was being kept in a "Pink Room" after being taken away. As we learned at the end of episode six, that room was in the basement of the Hoyt family estate, tying the new character into the mystery.

Most TV fans will know Michael Rooker from his time on The Walking Dead. Throughout the first few seasons, Rooker played the role of Daryl's older brother, Merle. While the character was a villain for most of his time on the show, he ended his run with a redemptive arc that allowed him to be regarded as somewhat of a hero when he died. Rooker then went on to star in both Guardians of the Galaxy film as Star Lord's father-figure, Yondu.

Are you looking forward to seeing Michael Rooker in action on True Detective? What do you think of this season so far? Let us know in the comments!

New episodes of True Detective air on Sunday nights on HBO.