Four major House of Dragon actors are going to be replaced in just a few episodes

If you’ve been enjoying the new Game of Thrones spin-off show House of the Dragon you might want to brace yourself for the news that’s coming, because it’s a massive twist for the show if you haven’t heard about it.

With that in mind – here’s your obligatory SPOILER ALERT.

Now that we’ve covered that, let’s get down to business.

Over the course of the show’s two episodes, we’ve already had plenty of time to get used to the actors inhabiting the main roles.

There’s Matt Smith as the conniving Daemon Targaryen, Paddy Considine as the wise but troubled King Viserys, and Milly Alcock as fiery Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen.

HBO

Well, the sad news for many will be that some of those characters are set to be replaced with other actors as the series makes a great leap forward in time.

Yes, after five episodes with Milly Alcock in the role, there is to be a jump forward in time, at which point she’ll be replaced by Emma D’Arcy.

Rhaenyra isn’t the only character who is to be recast halfway through the series, either. Alicent Hightower – played by Emily Carey – will be replaced by Olivia Cooke, and the actors playing Laena Velaryon and Laenor Velaryon will also change.

Laena has been played by Nova Fouellis-Mose now, but will be replaced with Nanna Blondell as an adult, and Laenor has so far been portrayed by Theo Tate, but John MacMillan will take over after episode five.

HBO

According to the guys responsible for the show, the decision to replace the characters was made ‘early on’.

Co-creator Ryan Condal said: "It's a conceit but I think it does work, having watched it a bunch of times.

"The people that are truly children in this are the ones that get recast. And the people that are already adults when we meet them, we age them up through hair and makeup and sometimes the actors change their voice."

It makes sense too, given that King Viserys just announced his desire to marry Alicent Hightower in the last episode, meaning that there would have potentially been romantic scenes between the 19-year-old Carey and 48-year-old Considine, which might have been awkward.

Speaking of which, the less said about that scene between Viserys and Laena the better.

HBO

The actors who are to be replaced obviously haven’t been able to comment on their replacement too much, but at the junket Alcock told us: “We don't know what we can and can't say, but we didn't work with Liv [Olivia Cooke] and Em [Emma D’Arcy] at all.”

Carey added: “You’ll see plenty of us – you'll see enough of us... You’ll see enough of us.”

House of the Dragon continues on Sky Atlantic next Monday night, 5 September, at 9.00pm and On Demand from 2.00am on Sunday.