Henry Cavill’s Game Of Thrones Fancast Is Closer To Actually Happening

Now that the Game of Thrones franchise has a movie on the way, that popular Henry Cavill fancast can actually happen. An adaptation telling the story of Aegon the Conqueror has been heavily requested since even before the central Game of Thrones series came to a close, but HBO delivered other TV spinoffs instead. Of course, with the success of House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, it seemed all the more likely that such a project would eventually happen. Now, this optimism has been rewarded with the confirmation of an Aegon’s Conquest movie.

Naturally, the big reveal that the first movie in the Game of Thrones franchise is on the way has inspired a lot of excitement. Fans across the internet have been assigning actors to characters like Aegon and his two sister-wives, Visenya and Rhaenys, for years, and soon there will be no need for speculation. The coming years should bring several big announcements from Warner Bros regarding who will play whom. With any luck, one of these reports will officially place Cavill in the leading role as Westeros’ first Targaryen king.

It is difficult to say who first suggested that Cavill play Aegon I Targaryen, but the idea caught on like wildfire. He looks the part well enough, and we’ve already seen him with flowing white hair as Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher. So, Cavill is easy to picture as a powerful Targaryen conqueror. Given how much it’s talked about, Warner Bros is sure to consider Cavill at least—but should they?

How The Game Of Thrones Franchise Would Benefit From Casting Henry Cavill As Aegon I Targaryen

Image courtesy of Everett Collection

Arguments for or against Cavill’s casting as Aegon I Targaryen have raged around the internet, and both sides make some good points. Perhaps the most convincing reason against this particular actor is that Targaryens aren’t known to be brawny. In fact, this ancient family is often seen as slender and graceful—delicate in an otherworldly way. George R.R. Martin’s fantasy world doesn’t have Elves, but there are some archetypal similarities here. It’s easy enough to see that Cavill doesn’t fit within that brand.

Still, there are a variety of ways that the upcoming Game of Thrones movie would benefit from placing Cavill in Aegon’s shoes anyway. Even among the Targaryens, Aegon the Conqueror is revered. This family is supposed to be god-like, but Aegon took it to an entirely different level. Were Cavill to be cast, the contrast in his build and presence compared to other male actors like Matt Smith (Daemon), Ewan Mitchell (Aemond), and Tom Glynn-Carney (Aegon II) would help establish Aegon I as a character unique among the Targaryen dynasty.

Beyond inner-world aesthetics, there’s one significant reason Cavill would be an asset to the Game of Thrones movies. This is an actor with some serious star power, and not just within the fantasy genre. With Cavill on the posters, people would most certainly turn up at theaters, even if they aren’t particular fans of the overarching franchise. Warner Bros will want its movie to stand out from HBO’s TV shows, and Cavill is a great way to achieve that.

Casting Henry Cavill In Another Major Franchise Could Be A Problem

Warner Bros will almost certainly be tempted to cast Cavill as Aegon in its Game of Thrones movie. So, while it’s not guaranteed, we are much closer to seeing this fancast happen than we ever were before. Still, a significant hesitation on the company’s part—or even on Cavill’s end—is that this actor is already an established presence within several other franchises. Cavill was Superman and Geralt of Rivia. He’s going to star in the Highlander revival, as well as his own Warhammer 40k passion project. Throwing Game of Thrones into the mix might just be too much.

Cavill already got himself into a bit of trouble juggling multiple franchises in the past. He reportedly left Netflix’s The Witcher to work on Superman, but his return to the DC Universe fell through. This meant fans of two different franchises were left disappointed. Game of Thrones would be a massive commitment, so joining it could strain Cavill’s other projects. For now, we can only wait and see. More than ever, there’s at least reason to hope.

Cast

Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Sophie Turner, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Maisie Williams, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Iain Glen, John Bradley, Alfie Allen, Conleth Hill, Liam Cunningham, Gwendoline Christie, Aidan Gillen, Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Rory McCann, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jerome Flynn, Rhys Ifans, Matt Smith, Graham McTavish, Fabien Frankel, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Emma D’Arcy, Matthew Needham, Olivia Cooke, Milly Alcock, Emily Carey