Shortly after filming began, House of the Dragon season 2 announces its first major castings, including some new power players in the Hightower and Strong houses. The Dance of the Dragons is set to kick off in full force after the season 1 finale saw Lucerys Velaryon devoured by Aemond Targaryen’s monstrous dragon Vhagar, setting Rhaenyra on a warpath of revenge. Earlier this month, the House of the Dragon season 2 filming start was announced with a detailed image of the Iron Throne.
Now, shortly after cameras started rolling, the House of the Dragon season 2 cast is making its first major additions. According to Variety, the four castings are Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers, Simon Russell Beale as Ser Simon Strong, Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayne Hightower, and Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull.
House of the Dragon Season 2 New Cast & Characters Explained
First and foremost, one of the most intriguing additions to House of the Dragon season 2 is Gayle Rankin, who is best known as Sheila the She-Wolf in Netflix’s wrestling series GLOW. In Westeros, the Scottish actress will play the role of Alys Rivers who, as indicated by her name, is a bastard from the Riverlands. In George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, on which House of the Dragon is based, Alys is a powerful witch from Harrenhal who has mystical visions of the future and becomes an important ally for the Greens.
Simon Russell Beale, one of the greatest English stage actors of his generation, will play Ser Simon Strong, a seasoned knight who is now the Castellan of Harrenhal after his great-nephew, Lord Larys aka Clubfoot, orchestrated the deaths of Lyonel and Harwin in season 1. As suggested by these castings, Harrenhal will be a strategic stronghold in season 2. Furthermore, Freddie Fox will play Ser Gwayne Hightower, who is Alicent’s brother and an officer of the City Watch. Lastly, Abubakar Salim will play Alyn of Hull, “a sailor in the Velaryon fleet who served in the Stepstones campaign.”
The first House of the Dragon season 2 castings feature an intriguing mix of new actors and characters, but with the second season drastically expanding the show’s scope and scale, there are many more major players left to be cast. Lord Cregan Stark is noticeably missing from these first four castings, and fans will likely hold out hope that Henry Cavill gets cast. With House of the Dragon season 2 currently filming, more information about its new characters should surface soon.