Mild spoilers for Game of Thrones season 2 follow.
If there's a major character getting thrown into the mix for the second season of HBO's fantasy drama Game of Thrones, it's Stannis Baratheon. Brother of the late Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) and the younger Renly Baratheon (Gethin Anthony), Stannis knows that Joffrey is the lovechild of twins Jaime and Cersei Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Lena Headey) thanks to the detective work of Ned Stark (Sean Bean), and is therefore not the rightful heir to the throne. Declaring himself king, Stannis begins plotting an attack on King's Landing to gain the throne which should have rightfully passed to him. There are two small problems, though: Robb Stark (Richard Madden) and Renly have both declared themselves king as well.
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Stannis is a stubborn character more than anything, which a sense of justice even stricter than the late Ned Stark's. He's not a sympathetic character, despite his righteousness, and is if anything portrayed as aloof. Who would be best to take up that role?
There's a rumor (but just a rumor) that Christopher Eccleston is being considered for the role, which I think would be fantastic. But with Eccleston notable for his refusal to commit to television (he only served as the lead for one series of Doctor Who, remember?), he's not the strongest contender. No, in my eyes, the strongest contender is... Mark Strong.
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The actor is making his way around Hollywood playing villains in various blockbusters like Kick-Ass and Sherlock Holmes. He's best when he plays men with a questionable moral compass and a sense of purpose, as he did in Guy Ritchie's film Revolver. Strong's a much better actor than most of his roles would have you know, and I think he'd definitely be a great choice to bring the unbending morality of Stannis to the small screen.
Stannis knows that Joffrey isn't Robert's son because he joined Jon Arryn on his detective work. Ned Stark's note is just bonus.
Also, whether or not he's sympathetic is certainly up to interpretation.
Would that you or I had any say in casting. I could not agree more that this would be a role uniquely suited to Mark Strong's talents. However, I don't think he'd do series television at this juncture because his schedule is too full.
I like the stories of the dragons, especially that with the Targaryen's family. Daenerys says her brother is not a true dragon because a true dragon has no fear of fire. She at the end of show proves actually she is the true dragon. Daenerys is naked and alive, taking three dragons on her body after burning together with her husband for a night. People who see this are all shocked, including the viwers. There will be something unbelievable next.