Lin-Manuel Miranda will be returning as Lee Scoresby in His Dark Materials season 3. His Dark Materials is a television adaptation of Philip Pullman’s novels of the same name. The series first premiered in November 2019 and was quickly given a season 2 renewal. It was announced in December 2020 that the upcoming season 3 would be the show’s last, set to be released later this year on December 5. The final episode of His Dark Materials will premiere on December 26.
His Dark Materials follows Lyra (Dafne Keen), a young girl who is prophesied by witches to change the world. Introduced in season 1 was Texan aeronaut Lee Scoresby, played by Miranda, and his daemon Hester. Lee appeared occasionally in season 1 but had a much larger role in season 2, when he is tasked by the witches to find Stanislaus Grumman, later revealed as John Parry. In the season 2 finale, Lee fights off Magisterium soldiers so that Parry can flee, but is fatally wounded in the process. A fan-favorite character, viewers were shocked and disappointed to see Lee die, especially given that His Dark Materials still has one final season to go.
However, Miranda gives fans something to look forward to this December. At the His Dark Materials panel at New York City Comic Con, attended by SR, Miranda made a surprise appearance via video. He announced that he would be returning to the show in season 3, despite Lee’s death in the His Dark Materials season 2 finale. Miranda thanked fans for their support, saying “Thank you for loving the show. Can’t wait to see you in December.”
How Can Lee Scoresby Return For His Dark Materials Season 3?
Not long after the season 2 finale premiered, Miranda stated in an interview that he would love to return to the series, despite his apparent on-screen death. Miranda referenced the third book in Pullman’s series, The Amber Spyglass, which sees Lee returning as a ghost after his death to help Lyra, saying that, “If they see fit for Lee and Hester to return in corporeal or non-corporeal form, I’ll answer the call.” As opposed to the events of Pullman’s books, however, season 2 did not see Lyra learning about Lee’s death, which may be something that early season 3 delves into.
With His Dark Materials following the events of Pullman’s books fairly closely, it’s no surprise that Miranda will be returning as Lee in season 3, since the character makes a ghostly comeback after his death in the novels. However, Miranda’s comment about returning in either a “corporeal or non-corporeal form” could mean that, while he could indeed return as a ghost, there are other possibilities for his character, too. Fans will be eager to see the aeronaut return for the final season of the series – whether Lee Scoresby will be returning alive, however, is as yet unknown.
His Dark Materials season 3 premieres on HBO and HBO Max December 5.
