The wait is finally over: Mance Rayder has been cast in "Game of Thrones!" After much fan speculation (and different people voting for different actors) "Rome’s" Ciarán Hinds has officially nabbed the part.

We’ve definitely heard plenty about the King Beyond the Wall. The story broke on Entertainment Weekly, and the fact that a "Rome" actor was hired should be of no surprise since this isn’t the first time HBO has turned to the Roman drama for casting parts in "Game of Thrones." Tobias Menzies, who was initially cast as Brutus in "Rome," made his way out of history and into fantasy to play Edmure Tully. Likewise, now Hinds will take a step from being Caesar and become a different sort of ruler.

We knew that it was only a matter of time before the show would give us Rayder, especially considering the final episode in season two. In addition to his TV work, Hinds has also been in some big movies, including "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows – Part 2" and "The Phantom of the Opera." He’s originally from Belfast, which is the same city where much of "Game of Thrones" is filmed. Now that should be a perfect fit!

[Source: EW]