The Watchmen: Jeremy Irons Character Has Been Revealed And He Opens Up About That Final Scene

One of the big mysteries for HBO’s ‘Watchmen‘ right now has been who exactly Jeremy Irons is playing. We’ve all assumed that he is Damon Lindelof‘s version of Adrian Veidt even though from a newspaper clipping it was revealed that the man who was the superhero Ozymandias was already dead. It is hard to imagine diving into the world of ‘Watchmen’ all these years later with the chief architect behind it all had passed away, but that is what the show has tried to tease was the case.

Now, we’ve been told the truth as to who Irons is playing.

Spoilers below!

Yes, with the signing of that letter, it has been revealed that Irons is, in fact, Adrian Veidt. According to Lindelof:

“By episode two, we’re not quite ready to tell you who Jeremy Irons is playing, except that he’s playing exactly who you think he’s playing — and while that person may be the smartest man on earth, it doesn’t mean he’s the best writer.”

Near the end of the third episode, we see Irons signing a letter to someone he is referring to as “The Game Warden” who is his enemy in the series and signs it “Adrian Veidt.” How this interaction with the enemy will play out is still a mystery, but shortly after, we see Irons donning his iconic Ozymandias costume. Of changing into the outfit, Lindelof shared that “It doesn’t fit him as well as it used to, and that’s exactly the point.”

However, Irons weighs in here stating that:

“Uniforms give you power. I think that’s why people put them on. Masks give you even more power. It’s interesting that these superheroes always wear masks and costumes; it gives them a feeling of strength and allows them to do more than if they weren’t wearing them. I think it’s the same with the military, a marine, or a police officer. I think that’s part of what Damon is exploring.”

Lindelof also went on to share that he always planned on bringing Veidt back, but does so with an interesting twist:

“Veidt was essential, unless he died in the interim [between the comics and the show], which would have been very sad — and we’re obviously dealing with a world that believes he’s dead; and he may or may not be, because who knows when or where this story is unfolding.”

I think that last part is key here. Nothing that we’ve been shown so far confirms that Veidt’s story is being told parallel to the rest of the characters. The real reason that Lindelof wanted to bring him back, though it is because:

“This was my favorite character in the original Watchmen, a thousand percent. I had so many contradicting feelings to him, and about him, that could only be worked out through trying to write him. He was both a philanthropist and a sociopath, apparently. I always wondered if he was asexual. He’s such a good-looking guy, but he doesn’t seem to be attracted to people of either gender or even talk about things in sexual terms. His obsession with Alexander the Great was completely and utterly fascinating. But more importantly, in every single frame of the original Watchmen, this guy is in complete and total control — every single frame. What would it look like if this guy was a little bit out of control if he was spinning out of control? I wanted to tell that story.”

The idea of Ozymandias not in control and possibly having already lost by the time this story is taking place is an interesting one, and I’m even more eager to see how this plays out now than I was when the series was first announced.

Are you glad that Jeremy Irons did end up playing Adrian Veidt on ‘Watchmen’? Do you think his story is being told in conjunction with the rest of what we’re seeing, or has his time already passed and will somehow come into play in the finale? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

 

Source: The Hollywood Reporter