Jamie Campbell Bower has become a household name thanks to his formidable portrayal of Vecna in Stranger Things. The audience just cannot imagine him as any other character apart from the aforementioned evil force. However, before he adorned this persona, another popular and beloved franchise signed him on.

After the whopping success of Game of Thrones, a prequel was to come on air. The creators cast Bower as one of the characters, and he even shot a pilot with actor Naomi Watts. The project, sadly, was dropped in 2019. In an exclusive interview with EW, Bower opens up about the canceled franchise and even discusses his journey on Stranger Things.

Jamie Campbell Bower on GOT Spin-off and Stranger Things

Before it met its demise, the Game of Thrones prequel project was in full swing. An ensemble cast included and not limited to Alex Sharp, Miranda Richardson, Naomi Watts, Naomi Ackie, Denise Gough, Toby Regbo, Sheila Atim, Ivanno Jeremiah, and Josh Whitehouse were to be a part of it. Bower was also recruited to star in the show, but his part was kept confidential.

When asked about the scrapped project, he shares, “Everything happens for a reason. I don’t think anything happens by chance. At the time of that spin-off not working out, of course it’s sad. Of course it is.” He even openly discusses his role in Stranger Things. “This was always there. This was coming. I just didn’t know.”

Bower enjoys playing the monstrous creature Vecna on the popular Netflix Original. “Everything I’ve done in my life led to this particular moment talking to you right now on this camera. That’s really interesting to consider.” This comment of his emphasizes the fact that Vecna was his destiny.

The Prequel that never was

The Long Night was the rumored name of the Game of Thrones Spin-off that never saw the light of day. It was going to showcase the first-ever war with the snow zombies, The White Walkers. It was also speculated to record the construction of the towering Wall in the North.

There was even a compelling logline for the called-off series. “The series chronicles the world’s descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour. And only one thing is for sure: from the horrifying secrets of Westeros’ history to the true origin of the white walkers, the mysteries of the East to the Starks of legend… it’s not the story we think we know.”

Instead, HBO announced a whole other show called House of Dragon that would have Westeros under the Targaryen rule on display. This new show will premier on August 21, 2022. Back in the day, Bower was also part of the original franchise. He was Waymar Royce, but that pilot never aired.

Looks like the Game of Thrones franchise keeps dropping our beloved James Campbell Bower. Well, their loss! Vecna will always be on the screen on Netflix and in our hearts as well. Tell us your thoughts about the canceled prequel in the comments.