Game of Thrones Prequel House of the Dragon Casts Major Role

The Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, has announced that Paddy Considine will play King Viserys Targaryen. Entertainment Weekly reports that Considine will play the fifth Targaryan king on the Iron Throne and revealed a potential plot detail for the prequel spinoff. According to the synopsis for the character:

“King Viserys Targaryen is chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen, at the Great Council at Harrenhal. A warm, kind, and decent man, Viserys only wishes to carry forward his grandfather’s legacy. But good men do not necessarily make for great kings.”

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=game-of-thrones-every-major-characters-first-and-last-appearance&captions=true"] House of the Dragon is based on George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, a chronicle of House Targaryen. For Game of Thrones fans, the main series primarily follows Daenerys Targaryen as she attempts to restore her house to the Iron Throne after they were deposed in Robert's Rebellion. He is also the first Viserys in the Targaryen family, and fans will note that Daenerys' brother is Viserys III. House of the Dragon is set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones and appears to focus primarily on the great Targaryan house of Dragonstone. The history of the family is tumultuous, and Martin recommends fans to pick up his anthologies Dangerous Women and Rogues for some idea of what the prequel will focus on. There is also the matter of who succeeds Viserys I's throne which kickstarts the Dance of the Dragons civil war between the different branches of the Targaryen house. Considine is known for his roles in films like Hot Fuzz, The Girl With All the Gifts, and Peaky Blinders. House of the Dragon is slated to premiere sometime in 2022. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN. (Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images)