In 2013, actor Ed Skrein joined “Game of Thrones” as swashbuckling sellsword Daario Naharis. For three episodes, the future “Deadpool” star brought the former Second Sons lieutenant to life, wooing audiences, as well as his later queen, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke). By Season 4, however, Skrein had been replaced with Michiel Huisman from “Nashville” and “Orphan Black.” While Huisman garnered plenty of fans by the end of his time of the show, not everyone was on board.
While some were simply peeved by the sudden swap, many just didn’t understand the reasoning. Skrein’s portrayal, they felt, was so much more in-keeping with the character from the books. “Ed Skrein looked the part better,” argued Redditor u/apparatus12345 on a thread about the two Daarios. They added that the actor had the “dangerous ‘feel’ of the book version.” Plenty of others agreed, including u/Jacksane, who commented, “I actually feel like the first Daario’s appearance and attitude [are] closer to the book version, while the second Daario was the showrunners trying to make him … seem less sleazy.”
And that was another issue some fans had with the recast: they felt the character had lost his dangerous appeal. “The new Daario is like the Mumford & Sons version,” wrote u/batsofburden, while u/CrazyFanGeek said Huisman gave them “the ‘chick flick’ vibe.”
Unfortunately for fans of Daario #1, neither the series nor the actors have opted to come forth with a clear explanation for the change. In a 2015 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Skrein said of his time on the series, “It was a wonderful experience, but politics led to us parting ways.”
We may never know the real reason behind the major casting overhaul but it’s clear that for a number of fans, Skrein will always be the real Daario Naharis.
