Kit Harington Turned Down A Superhero Role During ‘Game of Thrones’
Kit Harington may be entering the MCU with his starring role in Chloe Zhao's Eternals, but he almost played a superhero long before then. In a recent interview with Total Film, Harington revealed that he had an offer to bring a comic book character to life on screen. But at the time, his Game of Thrones schedule was too hectic, and he was too invested in his character of Jon Snow.
“[The offer] was a while ago, as well – just because it didn’t feel like the right thing at the right time. And I think I was right to. My head was very in the Jon Snow world then,” explained Harington. Not only was Harington focused on acting in the monstrously popular HBO show, but he felt that the role didn't suit him. Said Harington: “You know, the comic-book and superhero world has called once before, and I didn’t like the role and the part and the time to do it. So I turned it down.”
Game of Thrones concluded in 2019, opening Harington up to other acting opportunities. When he found out about the role of Dane Whitman in Eternals, he was instantly more compelled to sign onto the project. “And then this one [in Eternals] felt right to me. I liked that the character they were offering was not necessarily an Eternal. He was human. I did like that,” he recalled. “I felt that I could do something with that, that he came with all these human faults. So it was the character that drew me to it, as well as it being the MCU, and how exciting.”
Marvel's Eternals stars Gemma Chan as Sersi, Richard Madden as Ikaris, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Angelina Jolie as Thena, and Salma Hayek as Ajak. The Phase Four MCU movie takes place after the return of half the population in Avengers: Endgame, when the Eternals — an alien race created by the Celestials who secretly live on Earth — reunite to protect humanity from the Deviants.
Eternals arrives in theaters on November 5, 2021.