One Of Game Of Thrones' Biggest Missed Character Opportunities Will Be Worse After Avatar 3

Games of Throneshad a huge cast of characters during its eight-season run, so it's no surprise that some of them weren't as fleshed out as others — but it sounds like Avatar: Fire and Ash will highlight one of the HBO show's biggest missed opportunities. Given how impressive Game of Thrones' cast was, it makes sense that the series' stars have continued to have fruitful careers. This was true for major players like Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington, but Game of Thrones' supporting actors also appear to be thriving.

Oona Chaplin's role as Avatar: Fire & Ash villain Varang is one example of this, and the Talisa Stark actor's performance seems likely to highlight the shortcomings of her character's Game of Thrones arc. While Chaplin did an admirable job of bringing Robb Stark's wife to life in Game of Thrones seasons 2 and 3, her performance in Avatar: Fire & Ash promises to blow her time as Talisa out of the water. This is to be expected, considering how important Varang is to Avatar 3, but it also highlights how much more Game of Thrones could have done with Talisa.

Oona Chaplin's Avatar 3 Role Will Highlight Game Of Thrones' Missed Talisa Opportunity

The HBO Show Doesn't Give Her A Chance To Show Off The Same Acting Chops

Custom image by Simone Ashmoore

Chaplin's Avatar 3 villain is poised to break a trend for the franchise, introducing a more nuanced antagonist than viewers have seen previously. And from what Avatar creator James Cameron told Empire,the Game of Thrones alum will do a brilliant job of bringing Varang to life in the upcoming sequel. Cameron had high praise for Chaplin's portrayal of the character, telling the outlet that she "is so good that I didn’t quite appreciate how good her performance is until we got the Wētā animation back." He also noted that Chaplin "makes her feel so real and alive."

This makes Chaplin's more limited Game of Thrones role disappointing, as it would have been great to see her bust out those acting chops during the HBO series.

This makes Chaplin's more limited Game of Thrones role disappointing, as it would have been great to see her bust out those acting chops during the HBO series. Unfortunately, Talisa doesn't have all that many scenes to begin with, and she has even fewer that give Chaplin the opportunity for an emotional display. While Chaplin still makes Talisa feel believable and compelling, she's simply not given a lot to work with. Even during the Red Wedding, her character barely has time to register the tragedy before the focus returns to major characters like Robb and Catelyn.

Giving Talisa A Bigger Role In GOT Would Have Made The Red Wedding More Devastating

It Would Have Endeared Us To Her Character Further

It's a shame that Chaplin didn't have a few more Game of Thrones scenes to deliver powerful performances, as this might have endeared viewers to her character even further. That would have made the Red Wedding in Game of Thrones season 3 even more tragic, if such a thing is possible. While it's heart-wrenching to see Talisa lose her life right before Robb's eyes, the emotional core of the scene remains with Robb and Catelyn. Talisa's death could have been almost equivalent if Game of Thrones had spent a little more time on her character.

Giving Talisa a chance to respond to the Freys' and Boltons' betrayal would also have allowed Chaplin to show off the acting range Cameron alluded to. It seems inevitable that Avatar 3 will highlight what could have been if Game of Thrones had simply given Chaplin more to do. Talisa was already a likable character, but her loss would have hit so much harder if she'd been able to make a stronger impression.

Talisa Stark's Game Of Thrones Character Is Still An Improvement From The Books

Talisa (Oona Chaplin) looking upset in Game of Thrones season 3

Although Avatar: Fire & Ash will highlight Game of Thrones' missed Talisa opportunity, the show did a better job with Robb's love interest than George R.R. Martin's books. Talisa's character is totally different from her Song of Ice and Fire counterpart, Jeyne Westerling, and she's actually more developed. While she's still not given enough screen time, she has a distinct personality during the moments she does appear. Her fierce introduction and more sincere connection with Robb help Game of Thrones fix a book flaw.

Of course, the fact that Talisa is a better character in Game of Thrones almost makes it more disappointing that the series doesn't go far enough. Despite her character being more present in the HBO show, she remains a catalyst for everything that happens in Robb's story without really getting an arc of her own. Even a small storyline for Talisa would have helped her reach the heights of Game of Thrones' other great characters — and it could have made room for a performance on par with Chaplin's Avatar 3 one.

Source: Empire