The universe of A Song of Ice and Fire continues to expand on television (and soon on the big screen), but one former star from Game of Thrones will only return if they’re part of something fresh and new.
In a recent interview with Radio Times, John Bradley, who portrayed Samwell Tarly in all eight seasons of Game of Thrones, was asked if he’d ever return to the world of the show. Bradley was honest and said that it really depends on what the writers would do — and how far out the story would go:
"I think it all depends on the script and what the treatment of that character would be. When I think about Samwell, I just feel I can't do it anymore. Like I don't know what the voice is, and I don't know what the mannerisms are. So it'd be of no interest if I was to go back and play that character in the place that we left him. But if you could revisit that character and have a new experience of them and see that he's changed and see the way how he adapts to different situations, then of course because you're extending the biography of the character that you know."
This interview quote comes soon after Bradley’s former co-star Kit Harington admitted that he's willing to one day return to Westeros. It was reported for years that a Jon Snow spinoff was in development, but it eventually fell through. Harington has said that if the timing and story were right, he’d return to it.
Could Samwell Tarly fit into a Game of Thrones spinoff?
Tarly could easily fit into a Jon Snow spinoff if it were to happen, as he and Harington’s character shared the screen for several seasons. Both serve on the Night’s Watch until the end of season 5, when Jon sends Sam off to become a Maester.
At the end of the series, Sam becomes Grand Maester on King Bran’s council, and Jon is, well, banished beyond the Wall for killing Daenerys (Emilia Clarke). We're not even sure how their paths would cross again. Bradley himself added that the new story would have to be “totally unexpected” for him to even think about coming back to the part:
“But it has to be really worth playing and really add something to the history of that character that was totally new and totally unexpected for me to have an interest in it."
That seems to be the case with many actors who tend to separate themselves from their biggest projects, like Daniel Radcliffe with Harry Potter. But if Bradley were to return to the Game of Thrones universe, he’d be in good company with all ASOIAF spinoffs that have premiered or are in the works.
Bradley was asked if he’d watched any of the spinoffs, to which he explained that for now, he still needs to “distance” himself from the franchise before he can really enjoy either House of the Dragon or A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms:
“I think I will [watch them] one day. I haven't yet, just because I do have a bit of a strange relationship with it now. It feels like so long ago but at the same time it's not allowed to be a long time ago because people talk about it all the time. So it's a bit like I need to get a certain amount of distance from it before I can see it for what it is. And part of that is opening myself out to all the other spin-offs."
This isn’t the first time that a former Game of Thrones star has opened up about not wanting to watch the prequels. Emilia Clarke, for example, has said that she can’t watch House of the Dragon because of her personal connection to Daenerys, noting it would be “too weird.” It’s not that shocking that Bradley feels the same.
Many people are starting to wonder what the next step will be for this franchise once the last season of House of the Dragon premieres in 2028. Aside from A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and the Aegon’s Conquest movie, there's nothing concretely confirmed. Of course, there is the new stage play, Game of Thrones: The Mad King, but that’s for the theater, not television or the movies.
Who knows? The Jon Snow spinoff might happen, but hopefully, if the writers want Sam Tarly involved, he’ll have a worthwhile role, so Bradley can return.
You can stream all eight seasons of Game of Thrones on HBO Max.
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