Game of Thrones: Let’s dreamcast a Robert’s Rebellion prequel show

Jon Arryn

1. Colin Firth

Jon Arryn is one of the characters fans are most excited to see brought to the screen. The murder of Robert Baratheon’s Hand of the King is what sets off the events of Game of Thrones, but we never actually see the man in the flesh, outside of a glimpse of his body at his funeral. In this series, we would get to see him as a mentor to young Ned and Robert, a strong political figure wielding power from the Eyrie (hopefully we’ll get to spend a lot of time back there), and the man who marries a young Lysa Arryn in order to secure an alliance, a marriage that eventually dooms him, since she’s the one who poisons and kills him at Littlefinger’s behest.

Arryn would be a good character to cast with a household name. Colin Firth would be great at playing the many sides of this figure, from nurturing mentor to savvy political player to loveless husband.

2. Patrick Stewart

This is me dreaming, I’m well aware of that. Patrick Stewart is the man to turn to when reviving popular franchises. He would be perfectly cast as the strong, wise mentor who’s willing to do whatever it takes to help Robert rebel against the Targaryen tyrant.

I really just want to see Patrick Stewart in more stuff! No one plays the “god-teacher” archetype quite like him, and it would be an honor to have Professor X/Jean-Luc Picard in Westeros.

3. Gary Oldman

Gary Oldman kinds of looks like sketches made of Jon Arryn at the time. He has the right look and he’s the right age. We know from his turn as Sirius Black in the Harry Potter movies that Oldman can play a lovable mentor, and we know from his role as Jim Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy that he can play an honorable warrior faced with constant moral conundrums. He played tortured politicians and political operatives in movies like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Darkest Hour. He’s got what it takes.