vikings season 4 spoilers
Clive Standen teases a major transformation for his character Rollo in Season 4 of "Vikings." History Channel

Move over, Ragnar (Travis Fimmel)! There’s a new Lothbrok ready to take the crown.

During Season 3 of the hit History Channel series “Vikings,” Rollo (Clive Standen) was offered an opportunity to stand out from his brother’s shadow and “to be his own man,” Michael Hirst, creator of the nail-biting drama, told Entertainment Weekly in April. That coveted -- and regal -- offer entailed gaining land and marrying Emperor Charles’ (Lothaire Bluteau) daughter, Gisla (Morgane Polanski), the Princess of Frankia… for a price.

Rollo’s marriage to the beautiful princess was arranged so that the large, bear of a man could defend Paris against Ragnar and the Vikings if they should return for another siege. Although Rollo found the proposal undeniably appealing, Princess Gisla spat at the idea of becoming the wife of a pagan.

“I would rather be burned alive!” she declared in the Season 3 finale after learning she was set to wed Rollo. “He is a pagan! He has no soul! He disgusts me. He makes me want to vomit.” But Rollo, unable to speak the native tongue and understand Gisla’s harsh words, was smitten with the willful girl.

During San Diego Comic-Con, which took place over the weekend, Standen revealed to Entertainment Weekly that initially Rollo thinks marrying Princess Gisla “is going to be an easy ride.”

“We’ve all seen how he reacted to Gisla’s speech. He hasn’t got a clue. He doesn’t even speak the language. There’s no going back,” the actor said, adding that his character hasn’t exactly thought through his agreement with Emperor Charles. “I don’t think he really realized that the French people, the last time they saw him he was the crazy bear with his top off ransacking Paris.” Perhaps Rollo will get the hint that the people of Paris are weary of him when he sees Gisla crying during their matromony, which can be seen in the Season 4 trailer below.

But according to Standen, the people of Paris -- and viewers, too -- will get to witness Rollo (or should we say Count Rollo?) undergo a massive transformation in Season 4 of the historical drama.

“We’re going to see a completely different Rollo, if he’s ever going to conquer Paris and conquer the princess,” Standen explained. “He has to be far more cerebral, he has to be on his A-game all the time, and his attitude to Ragnar has to change. He can’t always be in the doldrums of being this second-best brother that’s in the shadows.”

“Vikings” will return with its Season 4 premiere in 2016.

RELATED STORIES