The third season of House of the Dragon is filming as we speak. This Game of Thrones prequel series has a deep bench of characters to include, and given how the show was cut short in its second season and how much it's changed the story from the source material, it can be hard to predict how they're going to act, or even if some will continue to appear. Perhaps the show might cut some minor characters entirely to save time?
But at least one minor character will return for season 3: Joffrey Velaryon, the youngest son of Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) and her late lover Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr). According to House the Dragons, which keeps close tabs on these things, he'll once again be played by Oscar Eskinazi, who also played him in season 2. In season 1, a very young Joffrey — he was around as a baby for a couple of episodes — was played by multiple child actors.
Rhaenyra sent Joffrey to the Eyrie, a powerful castle in the Vale, early in the second season of House of the Dragon, along with her niece Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell) and her youngest sons Aegon and Viserys, both of whom she had with her current husband Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith). The plan was to get them all out of harm's way while Rhaenyra waged a war for the Iron Throne in the south. At the end of the season, young Aegon and Viserys were being sent across the Narrow Sea to Pentos while Joffrey was to remain in the Vale, spreading the royal sons far and wide across the Seven Kingdoms and beyond.
This is more or less how things go for Joffrey in George R.R. Martin's book Fire & Blood, on which the show is based. (Technically, in the book, Joffrey is sent to the town of Gulltown in the Vale, not the Eyrie, but close enough.) If the show sticks to the text, he'll have an expanded role in future seasons, although I won't spoil too much about it here.
With filming well underway, our fervent hope is that the third season of House of the Dragon airs on HBO and Max sometime next year, which is already pushing things; season 2 wrapped up last August. We'll keep our ear to the ground for more info.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and Twitter account, sign up for our exclusive newsletter and check out our YouTube channel.