It’s been over ten years since we last saw our beloved Sean Bean as Ned Stark in Game of Thrones. Now, he’s finally speaking out about possibly returning to the show.
As the lord of Winterfell in season 1, Ned Stark tried to avoid the drama in King’s Landing. But when he got involved with the royal procession, he put himself and his family in danger by showing his mindless righteousness.
Much to our surprise, Ned was executed by the obnoxious Joffrey Baratheon at the end of the season.
In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant about Knights of the Zodiac, Sean Bean talked about the possibility of returning to Game of Thrones.
He admitted that he hadn’t watched the prequel show, House of the Dragon, but said he would be interested in playing Ned Stark again if given the chance. Here’s what he said:
I don’t know if he’d ever be incorporated again. I’m not that clued up about the following [for House of the Dragon], I’ve heard it’s really good, I’m going to try to see that [at some point]. But yeah, it’s always nice to think that you could be involved in some way in such a great series, something that became worldwide. I don’t think at the time, we knew with Lord of the Rings how big that was going to turn out, and it was the same with Game of Thrones. If I’m ever asked again, it would be nice to be involved in some way.
For those who have read George R.R. Martin’s novel, Ned’s death at the end of season 1 of Game of Thrones may not have been surprising. However, it was unexpected for newbies since he was almost the protagonist in season 1.
Some fans of the actor Sean Bean were jokingly prepared for his death due to his reputation for frequently dying in movies and TV shows.
Ned’s death didn’t mark the end of his time on Game of Thrones. Sebastian Croft and Robert Aramayo portrayed younger versions of the character in seasons 6 and 7.
However, the opportunity for Sean Bean’s version of the character seems minimal. The 1996 Game of Thrones novel provided a lot of Ned’s backstory, much of which was adapted during Croft and Aramayo’s time on the show, except for his involvement in putting down Greyjoy’s Rebellion when he was around 20 years old.
One way for Sean Bean to potentially return to Game of Thrones would be to create new material not found in the books.
However, this is risky for the franchise as the show’s final two seasons were criticized for diverging from the books and massacring the ending. House of the Dragon received better reviews as Martin partnered with showrunner Ryan Condal to adapt his Fire & Blood novel.
Martin is still working on Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring, so he may find a way to make it happen.
About Game of Thrones
A television phenomenon, Game of Thrones is an American fantasy drama series created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss for HBO.
Set in the fictional universe of Westeros, nine dignified families fight to mark their claim to the Iron Throne and rule over the Seven Kingdoms. The HBO production is based on the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series by George R.R. Martin and features a number of converging arcs convoluted by political conflicts among factions.
The series features a large ensemble cast including Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Nikolaj-Coster Waldau, Kit Harrington, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Emilia Clarke and many others.
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