Just as we got to know the cast of the new fantasy series House of the Dragon, half of them have gone and changed their faces. They’re not Faceless Men, though. No, House of the Dragon episode 6 had a ten-year time jump which meant a number of the characters had to be aged up, necessitating a recast.
Milly Alcock and Emily Care, who played Rhaenyra and Alicent, respectively, have been replaced by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke. Still, just because the Game of Thrones characters they played have gotten older doesn’t mean we’ll never see them again. In an interview with Variety, showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik were asked about Alcock and Care returning in flashbacks.
“I mean, look, I don’t know,” Condal said. “[Younger Rhaenyra and Alicent] are not a part of the story that we’re telling, yet. That’s not a thing that we’re doing right now.” Yet when pressed on the matter, he admitted that while Game of Thrones didn’t really use flashbacks, there’s no reason House of the Dragon can’t.
“There are things that we haven’t fully sorted out,” he continued. “I’m not closing the door on anything. So there, how’s that for an answer?” Well, it’s not 100%, but it sounds like the creatives behind the hit HBO TV series know the popularity of the younger cast, and they aren’t totally against bringing them back.
Still, we won’t hold our breath. I’m afraid if you like the remaining younger cast members as well, you shouldn’t get too attached. Viserys children Aegon and Aemond, played by Ty Tennant and Leo Ashton, are both set to be recast soon, with Tom Glynn-Carney and Ewan Mitchell taking on the princes’ roles.
If you hear the Game of Thrones theme in your head when you sleep, you need to check out our guides to House of the Dragon’s big bads, Daemon Targaryen, Criston Cole, and Larys Strong.