Armitage opposed Maid Marian death

Richard Armitage has admitted that he was shocked when he discovered his Robin Hood character would murder Maid Marian (Lucy Griffiths).

The actor, who plays Guy of Gisborne on the BBC drama, told DS that producers were "playing with fire" by murdering Robin Hood's iconic love interest in the series two finale.

He said: "When I read that I phoned the writer and said, 'What the f**k are you doing?' He said they wanted the most shocking storyline that's going to rock Robin Hood. This is what they decided to do."

However, Armitage acknowledged that the storyline was a brave departure from the Robin Hood legend.

"I still think they're playing with fire," he remarked, "but in a way they've shown an audience they're not scared of shaking up the show and reinventing the show. It means they can go anywhere with it now."

Discussing the plotlines for the upcoming third season of Robin Hood, Armitage hinted that his character might not make it out alive: "I think he deserves his comeuppance, to be honest. What form that will take, I don't know."

> Click here for our full interview with Richard Armitage