George R.R. Martin compares Game of Thrones vision to MCU: “That’s what I hope we do”

George R.R. Martin has compared his vision for the Game of Thrones franchise to the MCU, with hopes it’ll become one of the big pop culture universes after House of the Dragon.

Who knows where we’d be with Game of Thrones had it not been for the ending of Season 8. The weight of the world’s expectations hung over David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and they fumbled the ball.

However, we’re approaching a time of healing for fans still bitter over the closing episodes. House of the Dragon, a prequel based on the Dance of the Dragons, has been produced with Martin’s considerations always in mind, and its showrunners – Ryan Condal and Battle of the Bastards director Miguel Sapochnik – are loyal fans.

With Martin’s approval, trailers, and behind-the-scenes footage, House of the Dragon seems destined to rid the franchise of its former shadow. In the coming years, the author hopes it’ll expand further, just like the MCU.

George R.R. Martin wants Game of Thrones to be like the MCU

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the prequel’s release, Martin spoke of his hopes for more Game of Thrones spinoffs, similar to how the MCU now operates on Disney+.

He said: “The MCU has The Avengers, but they also have something offbeat like WandaVision.

“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.”

Prior to House of the Dragon being greenlit, several projects were considered: Bloodmoon, a series based on The Long Night, actually had a $30 million pilot filmed before it was axed; a series adapting Martin’s Dunk and Egg novellas; and one quickly kiboshed concept following the Seven Gods of Westeros as they earned their worship.

George R.R. Martin doesn’t want to be like Stan Lee with Marvel

Pondering his place as the mind behind it all, Martin continued: “Sometimes I sit around trying to figure out who the hell I am in this whole scenario. 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’d rather be, he replied: “I don’t know. Not Stan Lee at the end. He had no power, no influence. 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.”

House of the Dragon is due for release on August 21.