A considerable number of Game of Thrones actors have also appeared in Marvel properties, both lead actors and supporting roles. While Game of Thrones was solely adapted from G.R.R. Martin's book series of the same name, Marvel has taken a looser approach to adaptation. The Marvel franchise has evolved over decades, from comic books to movies to TV shows, with many authors and creators responsible for its development. Thus, Marvel appears to have a never-ending production line due to the immensity of the source material and lore.
Marvel's brand, if not Marvel Studios itself, had huge cinematic successes in the early 20th century with Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy and the first X-Men movies. Marvel Studios' own cinematic universe only exploded into life in 2008 with Iron Man, a few years before Game of Thrones first aired in 2011. While some of the actors starred in Marvel properties with other studios that predate Game of Thrones, most of them featured in Marvel movies and TV shows while they were still involved in Game of Thrones, or at least while the show was still ongoing. It is not surprising that there is a crossover between the two franchises, partly because of the sheer number of Marvel's TV shows and movies, and also because Game of Thrones' popularity turned many of its actors from almost unknown to highly in-demand.
Although Game of Thrones is over, it will see new life through its spinoff series, such as the House of the Dragon prequel series that is set to premiere in 2022. The success of the original show spawned hope that a larger franchise could be built out of the world of Westeros. Marvel, meanwhile, continues to produce more TV shows and movies, and it wouldn't be a surprise if more Game of Thrones actors appeared in them in the future. For now, here's every actor to have appeared in both Game of Thrones and Marvel properties, both within the MCU and without.
Sophie Turner - X-Men: Apocalypse & Dark Phoenix
Sophie Turner was a constant presence throughout every season of Game of Thrones, portraying Sansa Stark. The eldest daughter of Ned and Catelyn Stark, Sansa always dreamed of being a queen. She learned that it wasn't all it's cracked up to be, as she is used as a political chess piece by the Lannisters and Boltons. Eventually, Sansa learned how to play the game of politics and intrigue herself. She helped reclaim the North for the Starks and was named Queen of the North. Sophie Turner's break-out role in Game of Thrones led to numerous other roles, but the most high profile is her turn as Jean Grey in the X-Men movies. Thus far, Turner has portrayed Jean Grey on two occasions in X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix. Turner has since said that she would love to return to the franchise.
Maisie Williams - The New Mutants
Maisie Williams played Sansa's younger sister, Arya Stark, in Game of Thrones. Unlike her sister, Arya wanted nothing more than to learn how to fight and fend for herself. This desire led her to Braavos, where she learned to become an assassin and a member of the Faceless Men. Her new skills allowed her to enact revenge against those who betrayed her family and quickly made her the favorite character of many. Arya also landed the killing blow on Game of Thrones' Night King, in a moment that shocked audiences. Maisie Williams also appeared in 2020's The New Mutants, a horror superhero film set in the X-Men universe. In her role of Rahne Sinclair, she appeared alongside Anya Taylor-Joy and Charlie Heaton. Rahne has the ability to transform into a wolf and werewolf-like forms, hence why she is also known as Wolfsbane.
Kit Harington - Eternals
In Game of Thrones, Kit Harington was introduced as Ned Stark's bastard, Jon Snow. Due to the illegitimacy of his birth, Jon was sent to the Night's Watch on the Wall and rose through the ranks to become Lord Commander. Throughout the show, Jon was arguably the most stoic and prototypically heroic character; after the truth of his real parentage was revealed, he didn't even want to take his rightful place on the Iron Throne. When Jon killed his beloved Daenerys after she destroyed King's Landing, he was denied the chance to rule and was sent back to the Wall. In 2021, Harington played Dane Whitman in Chloé Zhao's Eternals. Whitman was a history professor and played a minor part in the movie; however, Eternals' credit scenes teased a future for Harington in the Marvel universe. While there has been no official confirmation, it's all but certain that Dane Whitman will return and fulfill his transformation into Black Knight.
Richard Madden - Eternals
Before reuniting in Eternals, Richard Madden played Robb Stark, the supposed half-brother of Harington's Jon Snow. As the eldest Stark, Robb led the North during the War of the Five Kings after the death of his father. After a string of strategical victories, Robb was eventually betrayed by his one of his most trusted advisors, Roose Bolton. Robb's death in Game of Thrones' infamous Red Wedding episode was one of the most shocking moments in the show's entire run. Richard Madden later starred alongside his Game of Thrones castmate Harington in Eternals, where he played Ikaris. Ikaris was the leader of the Eternals, a group of aliens sent to Earth to track the planet's progression and protect it from the threat of the Deviants. Due to the fate of Madden's character echoing his namesake of the Greek myth of Icarus, Madden is unlikely to appear in any sequels to Eternals.
Emilia Clarke - Secret Invasion
Emilia Clarke played Daenerys Targaryen for all eight seasons of Game of Thrones. The Mother of Dragons sought to reclaim the Iron Throne for her family, accumulating various enemies in Westeros and multiple allies in Essos along the way. Daenerys and her dragons helped save Westeros from the White Walkers, but she couldn't save King's Landing from herself. She succumbed to the hereditary Targaryen madness, unleashing destruction upon the city, and was murdered by Jon Snow before she could truly sit on the throne. Emilia Clarke has been confirmed to be joining the cast for Marvel's upcoming show Secret Invasion, and rumors are that she will be playing the main villain, Veranke. The show has an impressive cast, with Samuel L. Jackson, Olivia Coleman, Ben Mendelsohn, and Cobie Smulders all involved.
Finn Jones - Iron Fist & The Defenders & Luke Cage
Finn Jones served as a recurring character for several seasons of Game of Thrones, portraying Loras Tyrell. Loras was introduced in season 2 as the heir to Highgarden and the lover of Renly Baratheon, who was staking his claim for the Iron Throne. Loras was later imprisoned for his relationship with Renly when the Faith Militant seized control of King's Landing. When his trial eventually took place, he lost his life due to a wildfire explosion that Cersei planned. During Finn Jones' time on Game of Thrones, he was offered the titular role in Marvel's TV show Iron Fist. Jones played Iron Fist, also known as Danny Rand, in both seasons of the Netflix show, and the character also appeared Marvel's The Defenders and Luke Cage.
Natalie Dormer - Captain America: The First Avenger
Natalie Dormer excelled at playing Loras' sister, Margaery Tyrell, in Game of Thrones. Margaery dreamed of becoming the Queen and achieved just that, after learning the art of politics and deception from her grandmother, Olenna Tyrell. Margaery married King Joffrey in season 3, and later his younger brother King Tommen after Joffrey's death. Margaery's ability to influence the young Lannister kings meant that she made an enemy of Cersei Lannister, who orchestrated Margaery's death in the explosion of the Sept of Baelor. A year prior to Natalie Dormer first arriving on Game of Thrones, she graced screens as Private Lorraine in Captain America: The First Avenger. Although Lorraine kissed Steve Rogers on the cheek, she wasn't enough to take Captain America's eyes off Peggy Carter.
Iwan Rheon - Inhumans
Iwan Rheon made a lasting impression on Game of Thrones as the despicable Ramsay Bolton. Ramsay was the illegitimate son of Roose Bolton, the man who killed and betrayed Robb Stark. As the Boltons gained control of the North, Ramsay married Sansa to consolidate their position, but it was not a happy marriage, with Ramsay abusing Sansa. Eventually, Ramsay killed his own father to ensure his position, but died in the Battle of the Bastards, where the Starks reclaimed Winterfell. Iwan Rheon also appeared as Maximus in Marvel's Inhumans. The show only lasted for a single season, but Rheon has mentioned that he wishes to return to the MCU as Maximus.
Peter Dinklage - Avengers: Endgame
Peter Dinklage is best known for his role as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones. Tyrion was one of the most conflicted characters in the series as his love and hatred for his family dueled within him. After years in King's Landing, serving as Hand of the King and a leader in the Battle of Blackwater, Tyrion abandoned his family and eventually came into the service of Daenerys Targaryen. Tyrion was unable to divert Daenerys' fate, but he was a key force in the appointment of her successor, Bran Stark. In Avengers: Endgame, Peter Dinklage's character, Eitri, plays a similarly crucial role in the plot. As the last surviving dwarf of Nidavellir, Eitri forges Thor's new MCU weapon, Stormbreaker. Dinklage had also previously appeared as Bolivar Trask in X-Men Days of Future Past.
Hannah John-Kamen - Ant-Man & The Wasp
In Game of Thrones, Hannah John-Kamen plays Ornela, a member of the dosh khaleen, who befriends Daenerys Targaryen. Although Ornela only appears in two episodes of the show, she is an example of how Daenerys originally intended to liberate people. Hannah John-Kamen's career has gone from strength to strength since the HBO show and her role as Ava Starr in Ant-Man & The Wasp was just one in a stellar 2018 for the actress. In the movie, Ava is an expert in hand-to-hand combat after extensive training from S.H.I.E.L.D., and she can also turn invisible and phase through objects, hence her codename of Ghost.
Jessica Henwick - The Defenders & Iron Fist & Luke Cage
Jessica Henwick briefly starred as Nymeria Sand in Game of Thrones. Nymeria was one of the daughters of Game of Thrones audience favorite Oberyn Martell, with his daughters calling themselves the Sand Snakes of Dorne. The Sand Snakes proved their martial ability in fights with Jaime Lannister and Bron; however, the one opponent that proved too much for them to handle was Euron Greyjoy. Henwick also played Colleen Wing alongside Game of Thrones star Finn Jones in Iron Fist. Colleen is a key part of the Iron Fist show, also appearing in Marvel's The Defenders and Luke Cage.
Other Actors In Game Of Thrones And The MCU
Ed Skrein: Before Michiel Huisman played Daario Naharis, Ed Skrein played the role of the Second Sons' lieutenant during season 3. Skrein plays Naharis as he betrays the Second Sons to join Daenerys' course. After leaving Game of Thrones, Ed Skrein played Francis Freeman, a.k.a. Ajax, the villain of 2016's Deadpool.
David Bradley: The English actor portrays the devious Walder Frey on Game of Thrones. Walder will always be remembered as one of the men who killed Robb Stark. Before that bombshell in Game of Thrones season 3, Bradley appeared in Captain America: The First Avenger as the church keeper protecting the Tesseract in Norway.
Ralph Ineson: Before Ralph Ineson was known for his roles in The Witch and The Green Knight, he played Dagmer Cleftjaw in Game of Thrones. Ineson also played a background role as a Ravager pilot in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy.
James Faulkner: Faulker played Samuel Tarly's father, Randyll, in later seasons of Game of Thrones. A stern and stubborn man, Randyll refused to bend the knee to Daenerys and paid the price. In 2011's X-Men: First Class, James Faulker also makes a brief appearance as a Swiss bank manager.
Richard E. Grant: In Game of Thrones, Grant played Izembaro, a member of the Braaviosi theatre troupe that Arya meets. In Logan, however, Richard E. Grant played the villain, Zander Rice. Rice was responsible for the near-extinction of mutants but Logan killed him before he could achieve that goal. More recently, Grant stole every scene he was in as the variant known as Classic Loki in the Disney+ Loki series.
Clive Russell: Clive Russell portrayed the stubborn Brynden Tully on Game of Thrones. Brynden, also known as the Blackfish, was the uncle of Catelyn and Edmure Tully and protected the Tully stronghold Riverrun at all costs. Earlier in Russell's career, he led the Asgardian army in Thor: The Dark World, where he played the Norse god, Tyr.
Richard Brake: Richard Brake plays an Einherjar lieutenant in Tyr's army in Thor: The Dark World. Brake went on to appear in Game of Thrones seasons 4 and 5 as the Night King. However, he was later replaced by Vladimír Furdík.
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje: The final Game of Thrones actor to also appear in Thor: The Dark World is Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. In the MCU outing, Akinnuoye-Agbaje was Algrim the Strong, a.k..a Kurse. In Game of Thrones, he was Malko, the captain of a slaving ship in season 5.
Enzo Cilenti: Cilenti is featured in Game of Thrones as Yezzan zo Qaggaz, a slave trader from Yunkai. In season 5, he purchased Tyrion and Jorah, and he was later present when the free cities attacked Mereen in season 6. In 2014, Cilenti also appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy as a watchtower guard.
Joseph Gatt: Gatt played Thenn Warg, a member of the Wildling army in Game of Thrones. He also depicted the equally intimidating Frost Giant Grundroth in Thor. Considering Gatt's recent arrest for alleged sexually explicit communication with a minor, it is unlikely that he will appear in another Marvel project again. however.
Ciaran Hinds: The leader of the Wildling army was Mance Rayder, the King Beyond the Wall, and he was played by Ciaran Hinds. Hinds portrayed a Marvel character in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, in his role of the demon Mephisto.
Harry Lloyd: One name that Game of Thrones audiences may have forgotten is Harry Lloyd, who played Daenerys' brother Viserys Targaryen in season 1. Lloyd later played Charles Xavier on the third and final season of the MCU's Legion, a show that focused on Xavier's son David Haller.