American Gods casts Ricky Whittle as Shadow

Bryan Fuller has found his Shadow.

The 100 actor Ricky Whittle has been cast as the lead character Shadow Moon in Fuller’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods for Starz. In the book, Shadow is incarcerated until he’s released after his wife and best friend are killed in a car accident.

Shadow begins a new phase of his life working for the mysterious Mr. Wednesday, who opens Shadow up to a world of gods and the war brewing between old and new factions of these deities.

“We searched every continent and country and all the islands in between for our Shadow Moon, and we are lucky to have found Ricky. Fans of the novel will find he has every bit of the heart of the character they fell in love with,” showrunners Fuller and Michael Green said in a joint statement.

The adaptation will begin filming in April. American Gods will also be the site of a Hannibal reunion, as David Slade, producer and director on Fuller’s NBC series, will helm the show’s pilot.

Whittle plays Lincoln on The 100, which is now in its third season.