The new actor to portray Mordred in Merlin, Alexander Vlahos, has dropped some hints on the role and what we can expect from the character in Series 5.

Speaking in the new issue of SFX magazine, he explained: “He’s a main game-player and he doesn’t go away. I wouldn’t say causing havoc, he has a much stronger through-line. The whole point of Mordred in this series is “What’s he going to do? Why is he here?”

“The first time you see him, it’s Mordred, and Merlin knows it’s Mordred. There is no mask or facade at all, but that’s so much better. His identity is revealed from the off in a really surprising way. People are thinking he’s come in to do the double act with Morgana, but it’s so much more complicated than that.”

He added: “If I could describe Mordred in one word it would be ambiguous – you don’t really know where his allegiances lie, and that’s brilliant to play.”

Vlahos also spoke about how his performance will differ from previous Mordred actor Asa Butterfield: “Asa’s Mordred is very well-loved, that creepy little boy with the cloak and the bright blue eyes. People always remember how he was, so having to take that on board was tricky and I know die-hard fans, having someone replace that is hard. I want people to know I am aware of it and I’m trying to do it justice. I’ve tried to make him my own, while also throwing nods to the past.”