Game of Thrones and and Star Wars are two of the most popular and iconic entertainment franchises of modern times, and actor Pedro Pascal will be part of both. Pascal played Oberyn Martell in the fourth season of Game of Thrones, and he's remembered in particular for the spectacularly gruesome way he was killed off. Following Oberyn's bloody demise, Pascal landed the lead role in Disney+'s upcoming live-action Star Wars series, called The Mandalorian.
The Mandalorian won't release for months still, but Pedro Pascal weighed in on how Game of Thrones compares to Star Wars, saying this:
I see enormous parallels between the world of Star Wars and the world of Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones might not exist if not for Star Wars, in the way that this world-building genre [took] science fiction to a new level in the way that Game of Thrones takes fantasy to a new level. And the way that it represents such concrete realities that we live in, although the irony being that it’s science fiction and fantasy.
Modern sci-fi and fantasy as it is today might not exist if not for Star Wars, and Pedro Pascal sees Game of Thrones as one project that may not have ever happened without the precedents set by Star Wars. The two universes are far from identical, although Anakin's assault on the Jedi Temple in Revenge of the Sith might strike fans as similar to what Daenerys did in the latest episode of Thrones.
Still, both universes are expansive and detailed, comprised of many different lands and cultures and histories. Fans of both universes have found ways to relate to characters, despite the fact that there are no Jedi or dragons or ice zombies in real life.
Pedro Pascal's comparison to EW certainly tracks, although he unfortunately didn't spill any details about how his Mandalorian character compares to Oberyn Martell. We may have to wait a while for answers to that particular question. The Star Wars franchise isn't exactly famous for leaking spoilers ahead of time! The very title of Episode 9 was kept secret until very recently.
Star Wars may come to feel a little Game of Thrones-esque in the first movie following The Rise of Skywalker, although it probably won't include dragons, an Iron Throne, and any (more) twincest. Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss are helming the next installment in the film franchise.
Not much is known about the movie other than that it will hit theaters as the first new Star Wars movie after the conclusion of the Skywalker saga, and Game of Thrones fans might have been more excited by the prospect before the extremely divisive fifth episode of Season 8 aired.
Still, if David Benioff and Dan Weiss are able to bring the magic touch that made Thrones such a mega-hit to Star Wars, their movie could be very successful. It will also mark the third Star Wars project with some Game of Thrones crossover: Emilia Clarke starred in Solo, Pedro Pascal in The Mandalorian, and Benioff and Weiss on the upcoming movie.
The Mandalorian is slated to premiere after Disney+ launches in November. It's not the only live-action Star Wars series coming to Disney+, so there will be some TV action in that galaxy far, far away for Game of Thrones fans to experience after the series finale of Thrones on April 19.
