Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin likened the future spinoffs of the critically acclaimed HBO series to Marvel Studios' WandaVision.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Martin said it has long been a dream of his to see the vast world he created be fleshed out in an expanded television universe. He revealed that he hopes the upcoming spinoffs to Game of Thrones will do something different to their predecessor, much like what WandaVision did in relation to the Marvel Cinematic Universe films that came before it.
"The MCU has The Avengers, but they also have something offbeat like WandaVision,” Martin said. "That’s what I hope we can do with these other Game of Thrones shows, so we can have a variety that showcases the history of this world. There are only so many times you can do a competition for the Iron Throne."
Martin then went on to muse about his place in the franchise, comparing himself to a number of franchise creators. "Sometimes I sit around trying to figure out who the hell I am in this whole scenario," he shared. "Am I George Lucas? Am I Gene Roddenberry? Am I Stan Lee? How do I relate to this IP? Because those are three different stories as to where they wound up."
When asked who he wanted to be from the list of creators he named, Martin answered that being in the same position Stan Lee was in relation to the MCU would not be ideal due to a lack of input. "He had no power, no influence," the A Song of Ice and Fire author said. "He wasn’t writing any stories. He couldn’t say, 'Don’t do this character.' He was just a friendly person they brought to conventions and who did cameos. To be sidelined on the world and characters that you created, that would be tough."
Game of Thrones is set to several spinoff shows which will be both live-action and animated. House of the Dragon is slated to debut first and will serve as a prequel series to the events of Game of Thrones. Adapting Martin's 2018 novel Fire & Blood, the show will consist of 10 episodes and center around House Targaryen, chronicling the lead-up to the civil war known as the "Dance of the Dragons."
House of the Dragon premieres on HBO on Aug. 21.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter