New image of Bilquis from American Gods

Starz has released the first photo of Bilquis, ancient goddess of love, a character of the upcoming adaptation of American Gods.

The promotional image was released ahead of this year’s San Diego Comic Con. Bilquis is played by Yetide Badaki (Aquarius, Masters of Sex) and is described as “an ancient goddess of love who craves the worship she inspired in eras long gone, and is eager to find that same relevance in today’s world.”

American Gods explores the idea that various deities and mythological creatures’ existence is fueled by people’s belief in them. With the waning of belief in ancient beings, a new generation of gods has emerged as reflections of American popular culture, including media, celebrity, technology, and drugs. The protagonist is a recently released convict named Shadow (played by Ricky Whittle), who meets a mysterious figure called Mr. Wednesday (played by Ian McShane) who offers him a job as his bodyguard. This encounter eventually leads to a long and fascinating journey across America.

The rest of the star-studded cast of American Gods includes Gillian Anderson (Hannibal, The Fall) as Media, Sean Harris (The Borgias, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation) as Mad Sweeney,  Bruce Langley (Deadly Waters) as Technical Boy, Crispin Glover (Back to the Future) as Mr. World, Jonathan Tucker (Kingdom) as Low Key Lyesmith, Cloris Leachman (Malcolm in The Middle, Raising Hope) as Zorya Vechernyaya, Peter Stormare (Fargo, Prison Break) as Czernobog, Chris Obi (Snow White and the Huntsman, The Counselor) as Anubis, Mousa Kraish (Superbad, Fast & Furious) as The Jinn, Orlando Jones (Sleepy Hollow) as Mr. Nancy, and Demore Barnes (12 Monkeys) as Mr. Ibis.

American Gods will be headed by Hannibal showrunner Bryan Fuller, adapting a novel by Neil Gaiman.

More promotional material will be released as the team behind American Gods heads to San Diego Comic Con.