With one of the largest ensembles on television, including the cast of the new series House of the Dragon, it’s no wonder the cast of Game of Thrones has popped up in other big franchises. Although many of these actors were relatively unknown when they joined the series, the massive success of Game of Thrones has made them sought-after talent in Hollywood.
As if one hugely popular franchise wasn’t enough, many of the actors from Game of Thrones have made their way into the MCU and the DCEU. Whether it’s roles fans have already seen or upcoming roles, these actors have traded into the world of Westeros for the world of superheroes.
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Malko) - Suicide Squad/Thor: The Dark World
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje has the distinction of appearing in Game of Thrones as well as both the MCU and the DCEU. However, all of his appearances were relatively brief. He appeared in season 5 of Game of Thrones as Malko, a slave trader who captures Tyrion and Jorah.
Akinnuoye-Agbaje played an antagonist again in Thor: The Dark World as Algrim, the henchman of Malekith. He then went on to bring one of Batman’s iconic villains to life as Killer Croc in Suicide Squad. Sadly, neither role used his talents very effectively and both were critical bombs.
Richard E. Grant (Izembaro) - Loki
Oscar-nominated actor Richard E. Grant has a long and impressive career in Hollywood including several popular franchises. He had a fun yet small role in season 6 of Game of Thrones as Izembaro, a stage actor who plays Robert Baratheon in a production of the War of the Five Kings.
Grant also had a memorable guest role in the MCU series Loki. With plenty of variants of existing MCU characters popping up, Grant had a blast as Classic Loki, an older version of the God of Mischief who has learned from his many mistakes.
Freddie Stroma (Dickon Tarly) - Peacemaker
There have been a number of instances of recasting in Game of Thrones with Freddie Stroma involved in one of them. Stroma appeared in season 6 of Game of Thrones as Samwell Tarly’s younger brother Dickon who is favored by their father. However, Tom Hopper took over the role in the following season.
Stroma had the distinction of appearing in the first television series tied to the DCEU with James Gunn’s Peacemaker. Stroma plays Vigilante, a crime fighter who is all too eager to use lethal force against people and makes for the strongest character in the series which is saying a lot.
Rhys Ifans (Otto Hightower) - Spider-Man: No Way Home
House of the Dragon has further expanded the Game of Thrones franchise with another large cast of excellent actors. Rhys Ifans has been a stand-out player in the show’s first season as Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King with his own plans for who should sit on the Iron Throne.
While Ifans played Dr. Curt Connors in The Amazing Spider-Man with Andrew Garfield, he was brought into the MCU along with many other past Spider-Man villains in Spider-Man: No Way Home. It was a lot of fun getting to see the character have another chance on the big screen.
Emily Carey (Alicent Hightower) - Wonder Woman
Though her time on House of the Dragon seems to have come to an end, Emily Carey made a terrific impression as the younger version of Alicent Hightower. She helped make the character a sympathetic, strong and compelling character whose story will continue on with Olivia Cooke taking over the role.
Carey also played another younger version of strong icon as 12-year-old Diana in Wonder Woman. Once again, Carey helped establish how the character was brave and strong from an early age.
Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister) - Avengers: Infinity War
Despite the size of the show’s ensemble, Tyrion Lannister stood out as a fan favorite in Game of Thrones. This was largely due to Peter Dinklage’s amazing Emmy-winning performance. Tyrion proved himself perhaps the smartest character in Game of Thrones and was funny and the ultimate underdog on the show.
Dinklage joined the other massive ensemble in Avengers: Infinity War as Eitri, a weapons marker who was forced to forge the Infinity Gauntlet for Thanos. However, Eitri gets his revenge by also forging the powerful weapon Stormbreaker in order to kill Thanos.
Pilou Asbæk (Euron Greyjoy) - Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom
Pilou Asbæk was a late addition to Game of Thrones, first appearing in season 6 as Euron Greyjoy. As one of the main villains of the final seasons of the show, Euron received a mixed reaction from fans. Some found him to be a fun villain while others found him cartoonish.
After playing the sadistic pirate on Game of Thrones, Asbæk is set to return to the ocean for the upcoming Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom. Asbæk is currently the only confirmed new cast member of Aquaman 2 although it’s unclear who he will be playing as of now.
Michael McElhatton (Roose Bolton) – Justice League
In the role of Roose Bolton, Michael McElhatton’s performance was more reserved than some of the more colorful villains on the show. He played Roose as a cold, calm, and calculating man who will forever be remembered for stabbing Robb Stark in the heart at the Red Wedding.
McElhatton is clearly very skilled at playing villains and he continued this with his brief but memorable role in Justice League. He plays the leader of the terrorist group that Wonder Woman thwarts at the beginning of the movie.
Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell) - Captain America: The First Avenger
When Margaery Tyrell was introduced in season 2 of Game of Thrones, she became an instantly fascinating character. Natalie Dormer was excellent at playing her as someone who could be caring and kind but also quite ruthless with her own ambitions.
Dormer has the distinction of being the only one of these actors to have appeared in the MCU before joining Game of Thrones. She appeared as the assistant to Col. Phillips in Captain America: The First Avenger who expresses a romantic interest in Steve Rogers, causing a momentary rift between Steve and his true love Peggy.
Ciarán Hinds (Mance Rayder) - Justice League
Ciarán Hinds joined Game of Thrones in the third season of the show as Mance Rayder. Though he was once a Night’s Watch member, Mance left to join the Wildlings and was eventually crowned as King Beyond the Wall, leading an attack on the Wall.
In Justice League, Hinds played another powerful leader of an attacking army, although a much less sympathetic one. As Steppenwolf, Hinds provided the voice for the villain who took on the iconic heroes. Although it wasn’t a great villain choice, Zack Snyder’s Justice League did improve Steppenwolf due to a number of changes.
Pedro Pascal (Oberyn Martell) – Wonder Woman 1984
Although he has been cast in all kinds of big projects now, Pedro Pascal’s breakout role was as the charismatic, anti-hero, Oberyn Martell in season 4 of Game of Thrones. While he only lasted a season, Oberyn was a fun and suave new addition, with a very memorable exit from the show.
Pascal then went on to play the villainous Max Lord in Wonder Woman 1984. Lord was a struggling businessman, who acquired a magic stone that grants wishes, leading to Lord’s destructive rise to power. While he is the villain in the movie, there were many times when Pascal seemed like the lead of the movie.
Richard Madden (Robb Stark) - Eternals
As the oldest of Ned Stark’s sons, Robb Stark was the dashing and noble hero who was set to follow in his father’s footsteps. Following Ned’s death, fans assumed Robb would be the one to avenge his father, only to also be betrayed and killed at the Red Wedding.
Richard Madden does make for a striking hero which is why he seemed like an ideal fit for the cosmic warrior Ikaris in Eternals. However, the movie played on that image delivering one of Phase 4’s best twists when Ikaris ends up being the villain.
Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen) - Secret Invasion
As Daenerys Targaryen, Emilia Clarke was responsible for some of the biggest and best moments on Game of Thrones. She is also one of the most controversial aspects of Game of Thrones’ final season, with Daenerys becoming the villain.
Clarke is set to return to television with one of the MCU’s upcoming Disney+ shows, Secret Invasion. Clarke will star alongside MCU actors Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn, as well as fellow newcomers, like Olivia Coleman, in the series about an invasion by the shape-shifting Skrulls.
Jason Momoa (Khal Drogo) - Aquaman
Khal Drogo was introduced in the first season as one of the most feared and intimidating men in the series. Though audiences rarely got to see him in action, Jason Momoa made them believe it with his powerful presence.
Momoa certainly did get the chance to show off in some action scenes when he became Aquaman in the DCEU. Though introduced in Batman V Superman and given his first lines in Justice League, Momoa really shines in his first fun solo movie as Aquaman.
Kit Harrington (Jon Snow) – Eternals
If there was a main character in Game of Thrones, it’s hard to argue against it being Jon Snow. Kit Harrington really grew as an actor as the character became more pivotal to the story and turned into a more interesting hero. While not everyone was a fan of his final storyline, Jon Snow is a truly iconic character.
Harrington will soon be reunited with Richard Madden in Eternals. Harrington will be playing Dane Whitman, a character who becomes the Jon Snow-like hero Black Knight in the comics which could mean Harrington has a bright future in the MCU.
