There is still a lot of mystery surrounding Ian McShane’s upcoming role inGame of Thrones Season 6. His character doesn’t even have a name yet! But the actor let drop a few small details about his involvement in the upcoming series. It may not mean much to the casual viewer, but to the devoted Game of Thrones book readers, McShane just basically confirmed a long-cherished book theory about the return of a fan favorite.

The actor gave Pop Goes the News two pieces of information. First of all, McShane will only appear in one episode. Secondly, he told them, “I am responsible for bringing somebody back that you think you’re never going to see again. I’ll leave it at that.” More on why that’s a thrilling reveal after the spoiler warning.

Ever since McShane was cast in Season 6, there has been strong speculation that he would be playing a thus-far unnamed character described in the casting call as “a man in his 40s or 50s. A gruff ex-soldier who found religion. Now a no-nonsense rural priest who ministers to the poor of the countryside. He’s salt-of-the-earth man who has weathered many battles.” Book readers have concluded that this description coincides enough with Septon Meribald, a character from A Feast for Crows. (To be more accurate it’s probably a hybrid of Meribald and someone called Elder Brother.) McShane’s little hint pretty much confirms that assumption because Septon Meribald is key in the alleged reappearance of, oh yes, The Hound.

That’s right, between Jon Snow and The Hound, presumed-dead characters might be popping up all over on Game of Thrones Season 6. This isn’t the first hint we’ve gotten that The Hound—who Arya left to die at the end of Season 4—would be rearing his charmingly ugly head again on the HBO series. Actor Rory McCann was spotted hanging around the Season 6 set and, like Kit Harington before him, prompted plenty of chatter that he might not just be visiting his old Game of Thrones pals.

What’s interesting about McShane’s hint and McCann’s set visit is that they confirm something that is only an (albeit strong) book theory. The show is going a bit out of order here, but in the books Brienne, while looking for Sansa on a place called the Quiet Isle, meets the Elder Brother character. He tells her that The Hound is dead and that he buried the corpse himself. But many book readers have noted that there’s a gravedigger in that scene who is an enormous man with a scarf over his face and injuries similar to The Hound’s. There are other clues (which you can read about here) that make the Gravedigger=The Hound theory one of the sounder book reader guesses out there. It’s unconfirmed, but McShane just made it a lot firmer.

It’s possible, given that McShane is only in one episode, that Rory McCann will only cameo in the background as the Hound-turned-Gravedigger. It would be a fun easter egg for viewers. But if that’s the case, it ruins another, wilder book reader theory. What do you think, does the Hound deserve to live out the rest of his days in peace on the Quiet Isle or would you rather see him drawn back into the violent game of thrones still raging in King’s Landing?