Great Stark! Sebastian Croft has been 'cast' as young version of Sean Bean's Ned for flashback scene in Game of Thrones' upcoming 6th season

He lost his head on the steps of the Great Sept thanks to Cersei Lannister's scheming in series one.
But it appears that Ned Stark will return to the shores of Westeros in the sixth season of HBO's gloriously grizzly Game of Thrones.
Sean Bean, however, will not be reprising his role as the moral and altruistic Lord of the North according to Watchers On The Wall, as Sebastian Croft, 13, is to take on the character's mantel.

The website reports that young British actor is expected to play Ned in a flashback scene of his childhood, after meeting requirements for a Northern accent, brown hair and sharp features.
Purporting to have obtained casting calls for the latest series, the scene in which Sebastian could appear is believed to be a flashback with Robert Baratheon - taking place at the Eyrie where Ned and Robert were raised as wards by Jon Arryn (later Robert's hand before Ned).

The requirements for the roles have called for specifically a boy of seven and an older boy aged 12, and although it is unknown who the characters are, it is widely touted that the scene will see a young Ned going through the rigours of a sparring match.

And while there has been no official confirmation of Sebastian's casting or the plot-line, fans of the show already have differing theories on what the look into Ned's childhood will reveal.

One Reddit user gained much credit with other fans when he wrote: 'On the other hand, there's a chapter in the books where Bran has a weirwood vision of, presumably, Lyanna sparring with sticks with Benjen. 

'They could make it a little more viewer-friendly and just change Benjen to Ned, which doesn't change the nature of the flashback and would be a good intro to Lyanna if they're planning on revealing her relationship with Jon and Ned's promise to her.' 

The casting news follows rumours that Stark patriarch and fan-favourite Ned was to return for a flashback that would reveal Jon Snow’s true parentage - which began after a filming location in Spain was arranged that is believed to be the Tower of Joy from Martin’s books.

But with the show's famed approach to keeping quiet on plotlines, fans will no doubt have to wait until the sixth season of George R.R. Martin's fantasy epic returns to the small screens.

And although news of Ned's return might give fans something to debate about, the furore over Jon Snow's demise at the end of series five has continued to rage - with no one quite sure whether he is alive or dead.

The young and brooding Lord Commander, played by Kit Harrington, was brutally stabbed by his own men in the closing scenes of series five. 

But with an ambiguous ending and Harrington being spotted on the Belfast set for the show, speculation has been rife that Jon Snow has miraculously survived the Game of Thrones death tally unlike his half-brother Robb (Richard Madden) - murdered at the infamous Red Wedding.

However, HBO programming chief Michael Lombardo tried to cast the numerous rumours aside at a Television Critics Association meeting in July.

When asked if 28-year-old Kit would be reprising his break-out role, Lombardo insisted that Jon Snow was a goner, saying: 'Dead is dead is dead. He be dead. Yes.'

Before adding emphatically: 'Everything I've seen, heard and read, Snow is dead.' 

Meanwhile away from the Wall and the White Walkers, Kit has been furthering his career on the silver-screen with the actor currently filming the thriller, Brimstone - due in 2016.

The dark-haired actor is set to star alongside Dakota Fanning and Guy Pearce in the gritty Western, which sees as young powerful woman hunted by a relentless and evil Preacher. 

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