Two characters will be missing in action when Game of Thrones returns to HBO next year for season five and for once it won't be because they were killed.
Fan-favorite Hodor and Brandon Stark will not be seen in the fifth season, actor Kristian Nairn revealed while speaking with Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
"We have a season off," the actor who plays Hodor explained of his and Isaac Hempstead-Wright's non-appearance in the coming season. "We have a year's hiatus, solely because I imagine our storyline is up to the end of the books."
The 38-year-old Irish actor said that it'll give him more time to continue DJing across the globe for his show "Rave of Thrones." Nairn added, "I get my year off now to do Rave of Thrones and gallivant all over the world."
It's a shame to hear that considering Bran's storyline was finally starting to heat up right at the end.
While fans will be denied more Hodor for awhile, the news could be good for the show since it has such a large cast of characters to follow. Back during Comic-Con more were revealed for the upcoming season. Prince Oberyn's family was cast, which will include Alexander Siddig playing his brother Lord Doran Martell.
Trystane Martell and Oberyn's bastard daughters are scheduled to appear as the fallout continues over their father's passing towards the end of the fourth season.
Neither HBO nor Hempstead-Wright have confirmed the news.
image courtesy of Roger Wong/INFphoto.com