It's hard to believe that three years have passed since we said goodbye to the world of Westeros. The series, which aired 73 episodes across eight years, was one of the most successful television series of all time, winning 59 Primetime Emmys and sitting comfortably at number 13 on IMDB's list of top-rated TV shows.
Game of Thrones starred a cast of largely unknown actors, catapulting them to stardom. Many key cast members have gone on to star in groundbreaking blockbusters and critically-acclaimed independent films, boosting their careers even further and becoming household names in the process.
Emilia Clarke — 'Solo: A Star Wars Story'
Emilia Clarke is no stranger to a blockbuster. She took on the role of Sarah Connor in 2015's Terminator Genisys and is set to star alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders in the upcoming Secret Invasion series. Between these projects, however, Clarke landed arguably her biggest role yet: Qi'ra in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
The film told the origin story of legendary pilot Han Solo, and Qi'ra was a layered character with a considerable role in the film. Beginning as Han's love interest, Qi'ra soon develops into a strong, deadly warrior with the ability to shut off her heart and instead listen to her head. The post-credit scene also teased a big future for her character, making it an even bigger shame that we likely won't get a sequel due to its poor box office returns.
Sophie Turner — 'X-Men: Dark Phoenix'
Sophie Turner first appeared as Jean Gray alongside James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence in X-Men: Apocalypse, before transforming into a villain for the sequel X-Men: Dark Phoenix. In Dark Phoenix, Jean Grey begins to develop uncontrollable powers that turn her into the Dark Phoenix, forcing the X-Men to decide if her life is worth more than those of the people she hurts.
While the film was a disappointing conclusion to the X-Men franchise, with the lowest opening weekend in the franchise's history, Turner's performance was one of the few redeeming factors. Her slow descent to evil, helped along by the manipulative Vuk (Jessica Chastain), is believable and tragic, and it's a credit to Turner that she manages to remain a sympathetic character throughout.
Jason Momoa — 'Aquaman'
Given how memorable a character Jason Momoa's Khal Drogo was, it's easy to forget that he only appeared in ten episodes of Game of Thrones. Taking this incredible performance into account, it's no surprise that Momoa has acquired a large number of leading roles in the year that followed, most notably claiming the Trident of The Seven Seas as Arthur Curry in Aquaman. Momoa first appeared as Curry in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, before exploring the origins of his character in his own solo movie. Aquaman was a huge hit, earning over a billion dollars at the global box office, and ensuring excitement is palpable for the upcoming sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Kit Harrington — 'Eternals'
Kit Harrington may not be one of the bigger players in The Eternals, but his role as Dane Whitman has excited fans because of the potential that comes with it. In the comics, Dane Whitman is the Black Knight, a character who's been a part of the Avengers, Defenders, Heroes For Hire, and others.
The post-credit scene in Eternals teases that Harrington will reprise the role alongside Mahershala Ali in the upcoming Blade reboot, said to start filming this summer. In the scene, Whitman unboxes the Ebony Blade, which seems to react to him, before hearing an offscreen Blade ask him if he's really ready for it? Ready for what exactly? We're not sure. But one thing we are certain of, we can't wait to find out more.
Maisie Williams — 'The New Mutants'
Arya Stark is arguably the most iconic Game Of Thrones character, and, on the back of that, Maisie Williams deserved a much more complex role than the one she landed in the underwhelming The New Mutants. After being pushed back, again and again, The New Mutants was finally released in 2020 to disappointing reviews.
Josh Boone assembled some of the best young talents out there, including Williams, Charlie Heaton, and Anya Taylor-Joy, making it even more disappointing that the film was so bland. Williams manages to breathe some life into her character, however, striking up a relationship with another young mutant held in the facility and being haunted by the priest she killed after being branded a witch. All in all, though, it's easy to see why audiences didn't take to this film, and here's hoping Williams is given another chance to shine in the near future.
Peter Dinklage — 'X-Men: Days Of Future Past'
Tyrion Lannister was always the most intelligent man in the room. Peter Dinklage's cunning, witty, and narcissistic take on the character set him up perfectly to step into the shoes of Dr. Bolivar Trask, a man hellbent on ridding the world of mutants, in X-Men: Days of Future Past.
It's nice to see Dinklage having so much fun in a role, really embodying Trask's obsession with mutants and how to rid the world of them. Days of Future Past is one of the best X-Men films, and Dinklage gets to act opposite some of the biggest stars in the world, including Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Lawrence, and Nicholas Hoult. If there's anything to be learned from this film, it's that Dinklage makes a menacing villain, and we'd love to see him cast as a bad guy in other projects.
Gwendoline Christie — 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'
Excitement was almost tangible when it was first announced that Brienne of Tarth herself, Gwendoline Christie, would be donning the helmet of Captain Phasma, an intimidating female stormtrooper of the First Order. While Star Wars: The Force Awakens recaptured the joy of Star Wars, for the most part, many fans felt cheated that Phasma, a vital aspect of the marketing, had such a slim, insignificant role.
Things didn't get much better for Phasma in The Last Jedi; she was killed by Finn (John Boyega) without seeing a significant increase in her screen time. Despite wasting Christie's considerable talent, at least Captain Phasma was the coolest Stormtrooper Star Wars has ever seen.
John Bradley — 'Moonfall'
John Bradley crashed into cinemas last month with Moonfall, the new disaster film from writer and director Roland Emmerich. Starring alongside Patrick Wilson and Halle Berry, Bradley played KC Houseman, a scientist who makes a startling discovery about the moon.
Similar to his role as Samwell Tarly on Game of Thrones, it's Bradley's comedic timing and infectious personality that help him stand out alongside such talented actors. Bradley has fun explaining the wacky premise of the movie, helping prevent scenes from being weighed down by exposition. Bradley will next be seen in The Three-Body Problem, a new Netflix series currently in production.
Pedro Pascal — 'The Mandalorian'
For most actors, it would be enough to star in one incredibly popular, award-winning TV show, but that's not the case for Pedro Pascal. After seven memorable episodes as Oberyn Martell, Pascal later turned his attention to the realm of science fiction, playing the titular hero in Disney's smash Star Wars hit, The Mandalorian.
Combining the wide, advanced world of Star Wars with the tropes and styles of a classic western helped make The Mandalorian feel fresh in a time when audiences were suffering from Star Wars fatigue. It's a credit to Pascal that, even in a role where his face is covered almost all of the time, The Mandalorian is still a compelling, layered character that audiences have no trouble relating to. Season 3 of The Mandalorian is expected later this year, with fans beginning to speculate who will wield the Darksaber.