‘Game of Thrones’ movie: 10 characters fans want back

Warner Bros. just set a June 2029 release date for its big-screen Game of Thrones movie titled Aegon’s Conquest, a stand-alone epic that revisits the first Targaryen ruler’s war to unify Westeros. Fans are already combing the timeline for any excuse to bring back their favorite faces from the original HBO series. The wish lists that surfaced on social media and Ranker polls since the announcement all point to the same ten names, and the reasons for each run deeper than nostalgia.

Jon Snow

Kit Harington’s brooding King in the North still tops every poll. His hidden Targaryen blood gives screenwriters the cleanest path to a vision or prophecy cameo without breaking canon.

The shelved “Snow” sequel series proved there is still demand for the character, and Harington has said he is open if the right story surfaces. He is also confirmed as a playable unit in next year’s War for Westeros real-time strategy game.

A brief appearance could frame Aegon’s conquest as the start of the bloodline Jon is destined to confront eight centuries later, giving the film an instant bridge between eras.

Daenerys Targaryen

Emilia Clarke’s dragon queen ranks second because her story mirrors Aegon’s on a smaller scale. Viewers want to see the parallels drawn on screen, not just read them in Fire & Blood.

Her death in the series finale left room for resurrection theories tied to Volantis and the red priests. The same 2027 game that features Jon also includes Daenerys, keeping the character culturally current.

A quick cut to Drogon flying east with her body or a shared dragon dream could satisfy fans without forcing the writers to rewrite the ending they already delivered.

Tyrion Lannister

Peter Dinklage’s wit remains unmatched in the franchise. His political commentary would clash nicely with Aegon’s absolutist vision of rule.

Dinklage has never closed the door on future appearances, and the character’s survival arc makes him an easy figure to drop into a vision sequence or whispered rumor.

Even a single line about the Iron Throne’s true cost could give casual viewers the tonal contrast the film needs between conquest spectacle and later court intrigue.

Arya Stark

Maisie Williams’ assassin has her own spin-off rumors that keep resurfacing. The 2027 game leans into her face-stealing skills, reminding audiences why she is still a fan favorite.

Williams has said her feelings change daily, but she has not ruled out a return if the story justifies the time jump. Arya’s wanderlust also fits the film’s westward expansion themes.

A brief shot of her ship sailing beyond the maps could echo the same curiosity that sent Aegon across the Narrow Sea, linking two restless travelers separated by centuries.

Sansa Stark

Sophie Turner has floated the idea of reprising Sansa only if the original cast and crew reassemble. Her evolution into Queen in the North offers a political counterweight to Aegon’s conquest.

Fans speculate about what she would be doing decades after the finale, and Turner has admitted she wonders the same. A single scene of her reinforcing the North’s independence could bookend Aegon’s southern ambitions.

The character’s resilience arc is one of the few threads that still resonates with viewers who felt the show’s final season rushed everyone else’s endings.

Bran Stark

Isaac Hempstead Wright’s Three-Eyed Raven already sees across time. That power gives the film its simplest in-universe excuse for original-cast cameos.

Recent convention appearances show the actor still engaged with the fandom, and Bran’s kingship in the finale provides narrative weight for any vision that reaches back to Aegon’s landing.

A quiet moment of Bran watching the first dragonlords arrive could satisfy viewers who still debate why he ended up on the throne in the first place.

Cersei Lannister

Lena Headey’s ruthless queen remains a lightning rod for fan discussion. Her political machinations would translate easily to the court of Dragonstone or King’s Landing during the conquest era.

Headey has not publicly dismissed future appearances, and the upcoming stage play Game of Thrones: The Mad King keeps Lannister-era characters in circulation.

Even a short sequence of Cersei scheming against a rival house could highlight how little changes in Westerosi power plays across eight centuries.

Jaime Lannister

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s redeemed Kingslayer appears in the same stage play cast, proving audiences still want to see him. His honor arc could mirror the chivalric ideals Aegon claims to uphold.

Fans often pair Jaime with Brienne in return fantasies, but a solo cameo would still land if the film leans into themes of duty versus desire.

One battlefield exchange with a Targaryen knight could underscore how personal codes of honor persist even when the map is redrawn by dragons.

Ned Stark

Sean Bean’s honorable patriarch tops resurrection polls more than a decade after his death. His execution still resonates as the moment the show declared no one was safe.

The stage play features Ned, and cast members including Maisie Williams have cited him in wish lists. His moral clarity would stand in sharp contrast to Aegon’s calculated brutality.

A vision of Ned witnessing the arrival of the Targaryen fleet could frame the conquest as the first link in the chain that eventually costs him his head.

The Hound

Rory McCann’s brutal warrior turned reluctant protector still draws cheers at reunions. His fear of fire gains new irony in a story built around dragons.

The character’s survival at the end of the series leaves the door open for future appearances, and his dry humor would cut through the film’s epic tone.

A brief encounter with a young Sandor during the conquest could seed the Clegane family’s later rise without disrupting established lore.

Where it goes from here

Warner Bros. has not announced any original-series casting, and HBO has confirmed no new live-action series beyond the current prequels. Still, the 2027 game and the 2029 film keep the conversation alive. If the movie uses even one of these characters as a vision or prophecy bridge, it could satisfy the loudest segment of the fandom while staying true to the timeline George R.R. Martin helped shape.