5 characters Henry Cavill could play in the Game of Thrones universe
By Dan Selcke
Henry Cavill as…just leave it alone
Henry Cavill is one of the most frequently dream-cast actors in Hollywood. Before he played Geralt and Superman, people were calling for him to fill those roles. In this article, I’ve included fan-made photos that show him as Aegon the Conqueror and Robert Baratheon. He’s often mentioned in discussions about who should play the next James Bond, and folks have lots of ideas about who he could play in the MCU. They’re just something about him that says, “cast me.”
And maybe that’s part of the reason the Game of Thrones producers should pass. There’s something to be said for not going with the obvious candidate, and for giving a juicy role to someone who’s deserving but not particularly well known. For instance, how many people were clamoring for Paddy Considine to play King Viserys I Targaryen before House of the Dragon? Not many, but it could now be the role that defines his career.
Henry Cavill is obviously a passionate, talented guy — he’s the best thing about The Witcher, which is why that show could be in serious trouble when he leaves — but there are other passionate, talented actors out there, some of whom also clear six feet and can fill out a spandex bodysuit as well as Cavill does.
Game of Thrones shows have featured big names in key roles before — Sean Bean was certainly well-known when he played Ned Stark, and Matt Smith is currently burning it up as Daemon Targaryen — but it also has a history of taking lesser-known actors and turning them into stars. We hadn’t heard of Kit Harington or Emilia Clarke before they played Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen, and House of the Dragon is currently boosting the profiles of excellent actors like Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke. All things being equal, I think I’d rather the show try and continue this tradition than cast Cavill in the first spot that opens up. He’ll have plenty else to do, anyway.
Next. Every episode of House of the Dragon season 1, ranked worst to best. dark
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