Game Of Thrones' Isaac Hempstead-Wright Talks Biggest Bran Theories
Warning: This post contains spoilers for Game of Thrones season 7, episode 7, "The Dragon and the Wolf."
From the outside, Bran Stark, the last surviving son of Ned and Catelyn Stark, is only different now in his adulthood by his shorter hair, deeper voice, and more prominent Adam's apple. But from the inside, he's completely changed, fully immersed in and dedicated to his responsibility as the new Three-Eyed Raven. Throughout the Game of Thrones' seventh season, Bran has become increasingly omnipotent and correspondingly more difficult to make sense of, sparking fan theories by the hundreds.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Bran Stark actor Isaac Hempstead-Wright weighed in on some of the most prominent theories involving his character, namely the notions that Bran and the Night King are a single entity and that Bran will play a large role in reclaiming the fallen Viserion from the Army of the Dead.
When questioned about the Night King theory, Hempstead-Wright stated that he "doesn't know" if there's a world where that could actually happen, but admitted that he could be proven wrong given what has happened in past seasons.
"I think it's a little bit far-fetched. But the whole Hodor thing, if I had read that as a theory, I would have said, 'Nah, this is crazy.' So, who knows?" said Hempstead-Wright. "Although I have to say, people are now comparing my face to the Night King and going, 'Yeah! It's him! It's over, there's no question about it!" And I'm like, 'I don't look that much like the Night King, do I?'"
Hempstead-Wright then discussed the idea that involves the promise the original Three-Eyed Raven made to Bran stating that he would never walk again, but would fly. Some have speculated that this means Bran will warg into Daenerys Targaryen's (Emilia Clarke) dragon, Viserion, and reclaim him from the White Walkers. "That would be good, if he could warg into him," said Hempstead-Wright of the theory. "But I don't know what the logistics of that are now, considering he's under the control of the White Walkers and the Night King. Why hasn't Bran ever just warged into the zombies and stopped him? I don't know if he can do that. Who knows whether he actually can warg into Viserion, if that ever were to occur."
The 18-year-old actor also stated that he was so relieved to learn Bran had nothing to do with the Wall falling down in the finale's last scene, as fans had long argued about Bran's involvement with that moment. "I was so ready for so much hate. Even when the first episode came out [fans would say], 'I can't believe you've come through the Wall! Why would you do that?' And I was like, 'Just wait! Just you wait! This is not my fault!'" Hempstead-Wright said with a laugh. "I wasn't thrilled about the Wall coming down, because that means we are all now officially screwed. But in terms of negating responsibility? Yeah, I was chuffed about that."
In terms of how or if Bran will help bring Jon Snow (Kit Harington)—who was recently revealed to be Aegon Targaryen, the rightful heir to Westeros—to the Iron Throne, Hempstead-Wright admitted he doesn't entirely believe it's part of Bran's ultimate purpose or destiny. "I honestly think that's a massive red herring. As interesting as it may be that Jon is in fact the heir to the Iron Throne, none of that really matters in the face of the threat of the White Walkers. Even if mankind can possibly defeat them, now he has a freaking ice dragon. There will be so little left of that country that that information won't have any relevance," explained Hempstead-Wright. "I think Bran's real destiny and his most important role will be in some way having some influence on the White Walkers or the Night King or something. There's clearly some unfinished history between the Three-Eyed Raven and the Night King, and I think that's where Bran's going to be most useful."
All doubts and lingering questions will (hopefully) be resolved when Game of Thrones returns for its eighth and final season sometime in the next two years. While we wait until then, find out what really happened in the season seven finale.