Michael Rooker was one of the standouts of the first abbreviated season of The Walking Dead. His role as a violent racist who has to use a hacksaw to cut off his own hand was the most memorable of season 1, and it didn’t end with him dying. No way. As his brother Daryl (the always awesome Norman Reedus) would say “The only thing that can kill Merle is Merle.”

In season 2 he popped up in a brief hallucination of Daryl’s and that was it. No actual appearances of Merle. It had been rumored for some time that he would be The Governor in season 3, but of course that was put out after David Morrissey was cast. Still, there were rampant rumors of him, and then set pictures of Michael Rooker as Merle started showing up online.

Here’s our first official look at him.

Nice and creepy. Really looking forward to Season 3 now. The Governor is already a dastardly villain, but adding Merle into the mix? Oh yeah, this is going to be good.

source: bloody-disgusting