I've been really impressed with Misfits in what I've seen of Season 3 thus far … considering that I initially had some reservations. I wasn't sure how the series would change once Nathan was no longer in the picture, but they managed to introduce a new character successfully (Rudy), and another character has really stepped into the spotlight - Simon. Over the first two seasons, Simon became my favourite character. He was shy, insecure, socially awkward and not exactly stable, but with the reveal that his future self is the mysterious Masked Hero, he gained confidence and purpose in knowing his destiny. Last week, I was lucky enough to chat with the man behind Simon, Iwan Rheon. He shared some insight into his character and how he evolved, and reflected on his final season on the series (he left at the end of Season 3).

How surprised were you to discover the big reveal about Simon in Season 2, and at what point did you find out that it was going to be you behind that mask?

I was very surprised actually. I think I found out a few months before we started filming. I was really excited because it was such a great opportunity for me to do something different and to play almost a different character. It was really exciting and I feel really lucky.

Were your castmates in on the secret, or did you have to keep it from them for a while?

We all knew. We had to keep it secret from the rest of the world, though.

As a viewer, it looked like playing Simon became more physically taxing following the reveal. Did you do any extra training when the role became more physical, or were you always in shape and played it down earlier on?

I do a lot of press ups and sits ups and stuff, but yeah, I had to up my game. I got a phone call about two months before we started filming saying, "Do you mind going to the gym, because you're going to need to buff up." But I didn't do that much.

How did that new information change the way you played Simon, considering the dramatic character turn?

It did change a lot because all of a sudden, I had an end to the character, so I had a direction where I had to end up. It was a case of gradually bringing up Simon's confidence and status throughout Season Two and Three so it would make sense at the end when he becomes the superhero. That was, I think, the bigger challenge - to have [those] little movements and find all that, which is quite fun for an actor to do ... to really think everything through and figure out where I needed to show that.

How important do you feel it was for the gang to end up back in community service?

I think it would be a completely different series [if they hadn't]. It was good that they did end up back. The community centre gives you [a feeling], like you feel you know it, as an audience member. And that familiarity is useful in propelling the story. It was really important to have them back - and it's really quite funny how they ended up doing it.

If you had the power to go back in time and change something about Simon, what would it be?

I think some of the stuff in Season 1 was slightly misleading. From my understanding, Simon was going to become a bit of a baddie and end up in a mental institution or something like that, a bit like a Silence of the Lambs type scenario. There are things that I wish weren't there now but it kind of doesn't really matter any more. I'm just lucky they decided to go the way that they did.

Although Season 3 of Misfits already wrapped in the UK, it just started a few weeks ago in Canada. Which episode would you say you are most excited for us to see?

There's a lot of them actually. Episode 7 is a really good ensemble - proper Misfits - episode. For me, Episode 3 is very much about Simon's story, so you get real insight into him. And Episode 4 is exciting as well … it's really different, kind of like a Nazi episode. And the ending is quite epic as well. Watch it all!

Before you played a "superhero" on Misfits, who was your favourite superhero?

I was always quite interested by Batman, because he was different from all those superheroes. That dark, sort of insecure person is Batman, and in real life, he's rich and charming and famous. It kind of goes against the general rule of the superhero. I think he was the most intriguing for me.

In your experience, what has the fan reaction been like, to Simon and to the series?

The way that Simon was viewed became very different, so it changed a lot for me personally. I was no longer the weird one. I've met with fans that just really love the show. It's great to be a part of something that people love so much. We're not changing lives, but we're entertaining people and it's a great thing to be able to do, and hopefully we're inspiring people.

Don't miss an episode of Iwan's final season as Simon on Misfits ... tune into Showcase Thursdays at 10pm!