'American Gods' release date rumors: Mad Sweeney will have a bigger role in the series than in the book

Neil Gaiman is one of the most celebrated fiction writers today, and a lot of fans are happy to hear that his bestselling book, "American Gods," is getting a TV adaptation. A rumor says that the role of Mad Sweeney from the book has been greatly expanded in the story, and more of the modern-day leprechaun will be seen in the show.

The rumor comes from Nerdist, and they say that Mad Sweeney's role may be used as a way to introduce some of the other gods in the series. In the book, Mad Sweeney (accidentally) gives a magic coin to the protagonist Shadow Moon, and the coin allows his dead wife to come back from the dead. The rumor also suggests that the series will follow Sweeney as he tries to look for the coin that he lost.

In the book, Sweeney's role is not considered to be that huge. He is the second god that reveals himself to Shadow, and after their initial meeting, he disappears for a while. The next time he meets with Shadow, he is a downright mess. Sweeney has been desperately looking for the coin that he mistakenly gave Shadow, and his mistake leads to his eventual demise.

Mad Sweeney is an ancient leprechaun that lived in America. Even though not technically an "almighty" god, Sweeney used to recall ancient times when people would perform rituals in honor of him. The modern times have forgotten his tradition, and he, like the other gods, are craving for the attention that they once had.

Sweeney has a penchant for coin tricks (just like Shadow) and his introduction brings him to a fist fight with the protagonist.

The response to the first trailer has been fairly positive so far, and a lot of Gaiman fans cannot wait until "American Gods" airs on Starz next year.