Kit Harington Officially Breathes Life Into ‘Dead’ Game of Thrones Spinoff

Kit Harington had his breakout role as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones. While the actor has since worked on quite a few roles and will be taking on another legendary character in a fantasy adaptation soon, fans are still wondering what the infamous Jon Snow spinoff show was about and if it will ever see the light of day.

The actor recently revealed that he has a renewed interest in the project. Talking about the spinoff on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Harington mentioned that after staying away from the character for so many years and exploring other parts, he is now interested in returning to the role.

Kit Harington Says He Was Behind the Jon Snow Spinoff’s Cancellation

Kit Harington in Game of Thrones | Credits: HBO

Jon Snow was easily one of the most popular characters from Game of Thrones. During the GOT mania that the world went through in the 2010s, Kit Harington’s Jon and Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys Targaryen were two characters who had the most number of fans and were most poised to take the Iron Throne.

So, when Jon Snow survived the brutal 8 seasons of the show (Daenerys sadly did not), the field was open for the character to return in a spinoff. According to Kit Harington, the show would see him as an exile beyond the Wall after killing Daenerys, and would see his trials and tribulations as a hero beyond the Wall.

Harington mentioned that the show was already developed to a certain extent, but he was the one who put a pin in it. Taking responsibility for the much-awaited spinoff’s shelving, he said,

I still think there’s a world in which something could work. I wouldn’t have gone into it in the first place if I didn’t. But I was very insistent at the start, as was HBO and George R.R. Martin, of like: ‘If we don’t find the right thing, let’s not do it. It’s much better if we don’t.’ After a little while of thinking about it, it kind of was me [who said], ‘This isn’t quite the right [story].’

There were reports of Kit Harington wanting Jon Snow to die at the end of the show. However, we have since seen many GOT spinoffs like House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Now that Harington is interested again, things might finally look hopeful for the new show.

Harington is Right in Choosing to Return as Jon Snow Now

Kit Harington in Game of Thrones | Credits: HBO

One of the main reasons Kit Harington said as to why he chose to step back from the Jon Snow spinoff was that it was not the right story. But we would argue that it would also not be the right time for the spinoff to be released. The show was first announced as being in development back in 2022 (via THR), only three years after the Game of Thrones finale.

The final season of the show was extremely controversial. With a shorter episode order and a controversial evil turn for Daenerys Targaryen, fans were disappointed that the show ended the way it did, and Jon Snow’s arc was also not up to the mark. Fans longed for more from the characters, but the finale had also killed a lot of trust.

Now that we have surpassed seven years, it is finally the right time to revisit these characters, possibly releasing sometime in 2028 or 2029, giving ample time for fans to be curious and trusting again. 

Harington also mentioned that he was more ready now after having done other roles since the finale.

[But] now I’ve gone and done all these other things, and now I feel more comfortable with that character and that world again, and where it sits in my life.

The actor will soon be playing Gilderoy Lockhart in the second season of Harry Potter and might just be rebranded as a Harry Potter actor. For him to prove yet again that he can do the brooding hero would be great for his career.

What do you think about the Jon Snow spinoff? Comment below.