Ianto Jones is one of the nearest and dearest characters to the hearts of Torchwood fans – and we all shed a tear during Children of Earth. Well, for those of us missing Ianto, there’s great news! Ianto will be returning to Torchwood in a series of Big Finish radio plays – and yes, he’ll be played by Gareth David-Lloyd.

In an interview with Radio Times, David-Lloyd talked explained that Big Finish is creating a series of linked Torchwood plays all telling the story of one event, but as Team Torchwood has been split up, each play will deal with the event from a different character’s point of view. Ianto’s story is called Torchwood: Fall to Earth.

David-Lloyd is thrilled to be inhabiting Ianto’s voice again. As he told Radio Times:

Ianto’s returned! Yeah it’s been great, and the fans are over the moon, which is great. They worked so long and hard to a) get Ianto back, and b) get Torchwood back as well, because it’s been in a bit of a limbo for the past few years. It’s brilliant to be back. I read the script, the words just flew off the page, and it was a real delight to do Ianto again. His voice just came back to me. I was a bit worried about whether after all this much time has passed, how quickly he would come back. But due to James Goss’ fantastic writing, and the fact that I think Ianto is ingrained in my subconscious, it was a real pleasure, and easy.

However, he wouldn’t reveal which of his Torchwood co-stars would also be returning! It’s already confirmed that John Barrowman will return as Captain Jack Harkness in Torchwood: The Conspiracy, but other than that, David-Lloyd isn’t saying. However, he’s not being coy. He legit doesn’t know:

I haven’t been given a definite yes or no about exactly who’s coming back, I’ll leave that to Big Finish to announce. But I would have thought some of them will be back – I’d like to think so. I should think we’d have at least two or three of the other cast members back, especially if it’s set in that time.

So, how exactly is Ianto coming back? And when exactly is this taking place in all of the timey-wimey universe? David-Lloyd says:

I think I can say…it’s not ghost Ianto, it’s flesh Ianto saving the world. It’s during Torchwood, it’s during the time frame the first two series were set.

I’m so thrilled that we’re at least going to get to at least hear Ianto again and maybe feel those Jack/Ianto shipping feels all over again. Are you excited for more Torchwood? Who else do you hope returns?

(via Blastr)

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