The popular theory concerning Jeremy Irons' role in HBO's Watchmen has accidentally been confirmed, as the subtitles on the latest trailer for the show have revealed that he's playing Ozymandias. The Watchmen TV show is a retelling of the classic graphic novel by Alan Moore (who isn't thrilled with the show), which was a series that deconstructed the notion of the costumed vigilante and reframed it in a more adult context.
HBO's Watchmen will focus on vigilante behavior through a modern lens, as members of the police force start to wear masks when terrorists begin to target their homes. It's been confirmed that some of the characters from the comic book will be present in HBO's Watchmen, as both Doctor Manhattan and Silk Spectre will be appearing on the show, but the cast is mostly composed of new characters.
Jeremy Irons was cast early on for Watchmen, and several outlets reported that he was playing Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias, but details concerning his role haven't been confirmed by HBO. The mystery of Irons' role in Watchmen has finally been solved through accidental means, as the latest trailer for the show reveals that he's in fact playing Adrian Veidt, also known as Ozymandias. The video was uploaded to HBO's official Twitter account for the Watchmen TV show, which includes several scenes featuring Irons. If the video is viewed with the closed captions (CC) button pressed, then the subtitles will refer to Irons as Ozymandias at the 1:14 mark.
The trailers for Watchmen had hinted that Irons' was playing Ozymandias on numerous occasions, as he was shown sitting in the same meditation position that Ozymandias uses in the comics. There are also shots of Irons' character blowing out the candle on a cake that has purple and yellow frosting, which are the same colors used for Ozymandias' costume. The early Watchmen set photos revealed that Ozymandias is dead, which was later confirmed in the trailers, so it's unclear if he faked his demise at some point in order to escape from public scrutiny or if his death happens during the events of the show.
There are still many questions remaining about the Watchmen TV show and how its story relates to the comic book. DC Comics has extended the world of Watchmen in the past with prequels, and has recently tied it into the events of the main comic book continuity in Doomsday Clock, but HBO's Watchmen is going in its own direction. The fans of the property won't have long to wait to find out how both stories connect together, as Watchmen is set to debut on October 20.
Source: HBO Watchmen/Twitter