Jamie Campbell Bower, who plays Vecna in Stranger Things season 4, reflects on being part of the scrapped Game of Thrones spinoff show. Introduced early on in season 4, Vecna is the most formidable threat the heroes of Stranger Things have faced yet, shocking viewers by killing his victims in a particularly gruesome fashion. While Bower is frequently seen as the character in full prosthetics and makeup, Vecna previously took the form of Henry Creel, aka One, who plays an important role in Eleven's time at Hawkins' lab with Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine).
Netflix's Stranger Things is currently one of the most popular series in the world, a level of popularity that was previously enjoyed by another fantasy show: HBO's Game of Thrones. Based on George R. R. Martin's book series of the same name, the beloved show ultimately ran for 8 seasons before coming to a close in 2019. Despite featuring what many consider to be a disappointing final season, a number of Game of Thrones spinoff shows were promptly put into the works, one of which, a prequel, was set to feature Naomi Watts in a starring role. After spending $30 million to film the pilot, however, HBO canceled the Game of Thrones spinoff, choosing to focus on the upcoming House of the Dragon instead.
In a new interview with EW, Bower, who was also set to appear in the Game of Thrones prequel show, reflects on the series' cancelation. The actor admits that it was "sad" that the series was scrapped, but also says that "everything happens for a reason," hinting that, if the show hadn't been canceled, he may not have been able to appear as Vecna in Stranger Things. Check out Bower's full comment below:
"Everything happens for a reason. I don't think anything happens by chance. At the time of that spin-off not working out, of course it's sad. Of course it is. [Stranger Things] was always there. This was coming. I just didn't know."
The scrapped Game of Thrones spinoff pilot was filmed in Ireland in 2019 and filming didn't begin on Stranger Things season 4 until the fall of 2020, but it's possible that had the show moved forward, Bower's contractual obligations may have prevented him from taking on the role of Vecna. It remains unclear what Bower's role in the Game of Thrones spinoff would have been, but the show was expected to take place during the Age of Heroes in Westeros, potentially chronicling the first war against the white walkers and the building of the Wall in the North. With most of those involved unable to share details of the series, it's likely that specifics regarding the show will remain shrouded in mystery for the foreseeable future.
Considering how popular Stranger Things season 4 has been and the fan reception to Vecna, it's clearly for the best that the Game of Thrones spinoff was canceled and Bower was able to take on the role. After all, the HBO prequel was clearly deemed not worth pursuing and it's likely that it would have disappointed fans of the original series anyway. While Stranger Things fans are in for a bit of a long wait before season 5 hits Netflix, Game of Thrones fans, thankfully, are getting House of the Dragon next month.
Source: EW