J.K. Rowling, George Lucas And 4 Other Creators Who Retconned Movies After They Were Released

J.K. Rowling, George Lucas And 4 Other Creators Who Retconned Movies After They Were Released

Warning: spoilers for several properties, like the Fantastic Beasts and Avengers franchises, are in play.

Telling a basic story requires three things: a beginning, a middle, and an end. Sounds pretty simple, but it’s the characters we meet, the relationships they form, and the events they live through or partake in that really put the meat in the sandwich we call a story. And much like a sandwich artist, it takes the right amount of skill to know when you’ve finished your masterpiece, or when it needs a little more work.

However, there have been times when story creators made pretty big reversals to stuff they’d established earlier in their respective canons. We’ve seen it a lot with J.K. Rowling lately, as she’s expanded the lore of her Wizarding World on whims as of late. She’s not the first, and nor will she be the last person to revisit their own worlds of fiction, with a red pen and some big ideas in mind, as you’ll see in the following list of hugest shifts made to pre-existing material, and the folks behind them.

Let's start with the writer who got this list off the ground...

J.K. Rowling

We didn't know a ton about Professor Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series of novels and films, but we did know he had two siblings, a friend named Gellert Grindelwald, and a life full of adventures from his younger years. Slowly but surely, J.K. Rowling has started filling in more of that story, with some rather interesting and contradictory results.

Not only was Dumbledore outed as being gay once the series of books had been completed, with nary a hint or trace of any sort of romance for the venerable Hogwarts headmaster existing in those books, but it was then decided that Grindelwald was the intense object of his affection. That intensity is another change that Rowling has made in the wake of the latest film, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Though it should be noted that film had its fair share of surprises, as it decided to throw another Dumbledore sibling into the works, and we'll see how that storyline plays out in Fantastic Beasts 3.

The Russo Brothers

Alongside writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, Joe and Anthony Russo have had the run of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and plotted its fate up to their final film in the universe, Avengers: Endgame. But the details that came out after the film had dropped, as well as within the film itself, have made some of the most recent history of the series feel a little weird. Most importantly is the whole plot twist that now instead of Captain America and Sharon Carter being a cute one-off romance that now seems like a creepy moment between uncle and niece.

Not to mention, that Hulk’s damage to his arm is permanent, despite no further mention of it being made throughout the rest of Avengers: Endgame whatsoever. (I guess we're just supposed to compare' Hulk's damage to Thanos'?) Most revealing of all these off screen changes was the fact that in between the release of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, major characters like Shuri and Aunt May were dusted off screen.

There was always bound to be some random, off camera folks who were sent away in Thanos’ Decimation, but with characters so notable suffering that very fate, it was a bit of a shock to find out that those we thought were safe turned out to be dusted through interviews and trailers released after the fact.

Sylvester Stallone

Looking to end the Rocky series on a high note, creator/star Sylvester Stallone cooked up the scenario to end all scenarios with Rocky V. Taking one last fight, the underdog-turned-champion Rocky Balboa would risk his whole life on this final bout, as he was diagnosed with permanent brain damage and advised never to fight again.

And yet, despite making that decision to take Rocky out of the ring, it would only take 16 years for it to be undone in the name of progress. With 2006’s Rocky Balboa, Stallone basically said that with the medical advancements that had taken place between the films, Rocky was eventually cleared to box again and it wasn’t that serious in the first place.

Though if we’re being honest, Sylvester Stallone’s own version of the perfect Rocky franchise continuity sees only Rocky and Rocky Balboa still standing, as he believed the films to be perfect bookends to one another. So that’s another thing to keep in mind when untangling the twisty nature of the Rocky franchise.

Sam Raimi

With his interpretation of the Spider-Man mythos, and David Koepp’s pen helping do the lifting on the story end, director Sam Raimi’s 2002 debut of Peter Parker’s big screen adventures set the tone for his career as a crimefighter. And it included one of the saddest moments of his entire life: the death of his uncle Ben.

In the version of events we saw in Spider-Man, a random thug holds up a wrestling promoter that Peter found himself cheated by. But as Peter didn’t stop this thug from getting away, they eventually tried to steal Uncle Ben’s car, killing him in the process. However Sam Raimi, along with co-writers Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent, changed one of the most crucial moments in Peter Parker’s genesis as a superhero, when it came time to write the story for Spider-Man 3.

Now, instead of a random thug, the man who killed Uncle Ben was Flint Marko, better known as the villainous Sandman. Only, Sandman wasn’t too much of a villain, as he was only stealing to support his sick daughter, and Uncle Ben’s death was a total accident. While it doesn’t alter Peter’s character all that much, it’s still one of those things that consciously undoes the pre-existing lore so much, you can see how much disarray the franchise was already in with its third of a proposed seven entry series.

Chris Morgan

While the Fast and Furious series has never been known for its economy of story, there is one event that was so pivotal to a fan-favorite character that it had to be shuffled down the timeline into later films. Killing Han Lue may have felt like the right story beat for Chris Morgan’s script to The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift to undertake, but in order for actor Sung Kang’s character to have more adventures with the Torretto crime family, a lot of explaining would need to be done.

In particular, that film’s slot as the third film in the chronological release order is betrayed by the fact the film’s events were eventually rewritten by Chris Morgan to take place between Fast and Furious 6 and Furious 7. Even more baffling is how instead of the Yakuza (or a rival racer) killing Han, Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw was the person behind that heinous murder.

Were Deckard to have stayed a villain in the Fast and Furious series, this might not have been a problem.  With this character being turned into such a hero his whole entire family has been spun off into a new franchise, there are some who are less than forgiving for Chris Morgan’s big switcharoo; which may explain one reason he’s no longer the main writer on the series’ next installment, Fast 9.

George Lucas

It really feels like there’s a precedent with retconning characters named Han. Though out of these two instances, it’s no question that George Lucas’ massive change to the Star Wars universe is the one with the greater impact.

While the original trilogy’s theatrical version saw Han Solo shoot rival Greedo before he had the chance to get the drop on him, the special editions of the film’s 20th anniversary played out rather differently. This time around, the pivotal moment that proved Han to be a badass without remorse saw his murder of Greedo as a result of the luck of the draw, as they both shot simultaneously.

There were plenty more changes that Lucas would implement through not only the special editions of 1997, but also the prequel trilogy he would eventually embark on as a result. Yet out of everything that would change as a result of George Lucas revisiting the Star Wars galaxy, Han Solo’s status as a rogue being reduced to a lucky bastard is one the fans still have a problem accepting to this very day.

They may not be pretty, but these examples of creators retconning their creations into something different than initially intended are prime reminders that any fictional canon can be meddled with at any time. Nothing is ever final, until those who have the power to say so let them be. Remember that the next time you see an ending, whether you agree with it or not, and take comfort that fans and creators both can interpret events in their own special way, with neither owing any fealty to the other.

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ReelBlend #63: Our Shazam! Interview With David F. Sandberg And Peter Safran

ReelBlend #63: Our Shazam! Interview With David F. Sandberg And Peter Safran

Boy, we have been on a streak lately. ReelBlend has been getting some exciting guests, if we do say so ourselves. Hot on the heels of Kevin’s incredible Danny Elfman interview in last week’s episode, we’re joined this week by Shazam! filmmaker David F. Sandberg and uber-DC producer Peter Safran. You are going to want to listen!

Before they get to the interview, the guys have a lot to discuss. They plug the Chicago Meet Up, which is taking place on Saturday, April 13. That will be during Star Wars Celebration, which Jake and Sean plan to cover.

From there, the guys read an ACTUAL review from Kevin’s mom. She listened to the show, and shared her thoughts. It’s pure gold.

The guys then moved to the casting for Jason Reitman’s new Ghostbusters movie, which added Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard and McKenna Grace in pivotal roles. The movie remains a mystery of sorts, as we don’t even know if the original actors will be returning. We assume, because Reitman’s involved, that the Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson will return. But nothing has been confirmed.

You know what was confirmed? Mark Hamill voicing Chucky in the new Child’s Play. And that’s AWESOME.

Finally, Sean was able to share several key Avengers: Endgame details that he picked up from Anthony Russo on the phone last week. The information was embargoed, but now it can be shared. Hope you dig it.

Speaking of digging it, you will dig the interview that Kevin did with David F. Sandberg and Peter Safran on behalf of Shazam! Press play above and listen!

ReelBlend is a weekly podcast that we do on CinemaBlend. You can download the latest episode (and all of our past episodes) for FREE on our iTunes page! Visit. Subscribe. Like and comment. Review! Apple loves when you have star ratings and reviews, so if you listened, and you liked it (or even if you didn't), let us know. We also are on Spotify. And Google Play. And basically everywhere that you download podcasts. So download us.

Meanwhile, follow the guys on Social Media! We have an official Twitter feed for the show, so follow @ReelBlend. In addition, follow the guys at @Sean_OConnell, @JakesTakesand @KevinMcCarthyTV.

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5 Reasons Godzilla (2014) Is Better Than You Probably Remember

5 Reasons Godzilla (2014) Is Better Than You Probably Remember

With Godzilla: King of the Monsters stomping, hopping, smashing and crashing its way into theaters around the world this week, I have a confession to make: I like Godzilla (2014). I like it a lot, in fact, and I don't think it deserves the flack it gets.

Gareth Edwards' assured, commanding sophomore film is a fire-breather of a Godzilla movie, one that surprisingly isn't afraid to bide its time and make the monster movie beats worth the while. It's a carefully-crafted B-movie with A-grade special effects, an expensive genre beauty that fills the big screen at choice moments. It produces a loud, roaring triumph of Spielbergian craftsmanship, complimented beautifully by its boisterous score, with a diligent desire to make the explosive finale a towering inferno of epic-ness. In short, it's a lot of fun, and it's a lot better than people give it credit.

The film does have its flaws — many of them, in fact. For instance, Aaron Taylor-Johnson's character is a soggy bread of a protagonist, lacking any real depth or nuance to make him worthy of being our central human character. The story structure can be a bit haphazard, favoring set pieces over a firm narrative streamline, and the lack of monster fights in the first two-thirds can be odd — to say the least — for a major American studio Godzilla movie. But its strengths far outshine its weaknesses, in my view, and I believe there's a lot worth celebrating in this big-budget remake. Here's my reasoning.

Godzilla Has Excellent Use Of Build-Up

Perhaps the biggest — and, in my view, most rewarding — surprise found in Godzilla (2014) is that it is an unexpectedly patient film. With Hollywood blockbusters, particularly in an era of massive superhero movies, we're used to seeing a lot of whizz-bang early and often. Blockbusters will jam-pack as many action beats as possible to keep easily-distracted eyeballs focused squarely on the big screen in front of them. You need to bring the masses, and the masses want something that keeps their attention spans stimulated, even if — or especially if — their brain is left unrewarded in the process.

There is nothing wrong with a good popcorn flick. I love them as much as the next guy. But Godzilla (2014) accomplishes something that is a little more dexterous in terms of its plotting and execution. It intentionally teases the audience, keeping the title character at a distance until it's time for the big, famous kaiju monster to make a hell of an impression. The result is a Godzilla movie with fewer action beats than you might anticipate, but one that is, nevertheless, deeply satisfying because the pay-off is so explosively enjoyable that you feel rewarded for being strung along for the last hour or so.

Godzilla Has Amazing Special Effects

With blockbusters today, we often take the wizardry of special effects for granted. Nearly every blockbuster released in theaters this weekend is filled with spectacles galore, often the work of computer animators trying to meet tight deadlines and massive expectations. Nevertheless, the VFX effects in Godzilla (2014) are truly incredible, not merely for a big-scale Godzilla movie (particularly with other Godzilla movies relying on people in rubber suits to do the job), but for a major Hollywood blockbuster such as this one.

Gareth Edwards made a beautiful looking movie, one that is complimented throughout with strong cinematography and commendable direction. But it is the lavish special effects from the movie's heavy $160 million budget that really make the visual pops in this action flick. Particularly with the very dated special effects found in Roland Emmerich's ill-fated 1998 Godzilla remake, Godzilla (2014) is the first time the big mean radioactive monster was given the proper Hollywood treatment. And he is as beautiful as he's ugly — if that makes sense.

Impressively massive and commendably fleshed-out, Godzilla looks more believable and photorealistic than he's ever looked before, and the reptilian badass is truly a sight to behold. It's a damn shame that Godzilla (2014) didn't even get a nomination for Best Visual Effects. Quite an egregious snub.

Godzilla Has Nice Set Pieces

While people are often quick to lament about the lack of monster-based action sequences in Godzilla (2014), the blockbuster does contain a wide array of impressive set pieces. Whether it's Hawaii, Las Vegas, San Francisco or the Philippines, Godzilla gets around in this new movie, and we follow him through a nice assortment of different scenic backdrops. Though Godzilla is a big, imposing, menacing dude, the skyscraper-sized creature sure knows how to get around the world in a short amount of time.

As a result, Godzilla (2014) is as expansive as it is expensive, providing audiences with a glorious blockbuster with the budget and means to jump from location-to-location. It provides moviegoers with a chance to see all kinds of locations, even if many — if not all — of them fall victim to widespread destruction in the grasp of Godzilla's fire-breathing reign. Gareth Edwards' first film, the micro-budgeted Monsters, showcased a rising filmmaker with a knack for making the most out of sparse and/or visually-dynamic locations. That filmmaking tradition continued with his next film, Godzilla (2014).

Godzilla Has A Great Sense Of Perspective

One thing that really makes Godzilla (2014) exceptional is that this major movie tends to prefer the small opposed to the big. While the film is filled with major overtures in the right key moments, it's a film that like to keep the focus on the ground floor. Picking up from the tradition of 2008's Cloverfield, it imagines the citywide destruction and global mayhem of the kaiju attacks from a view that is often closer to the floor than the sky. The result is a huge, gigantic motion picture that knows how to dish out action in a human level — even if it's human characters can often, unfortunately, be a bit lacking.

It's hard to say that Aaron Taylor-Johnson brings a lot to the lead role. And it's even harder to remember much of anything about his character or personality. But through his eyes, we are often witnessing the chaos that springs worldwide in these monsters' wake. The result is a movie that knows how to bring perspective in the fold, and one that constantly keeps the action investing by never being afraid to reveal its hand too early into the game.

The Cast Is Notable

Now, listen, I won't say the humans in Godzilla are richly fleshed-out, three-dimensional characters with rich backgrounds and layered personalities. You'd be hard-pressed to find many Godzilla-focused movies with the same high pedigree of actors. Bryan Cranston and Ken Watanabe are excellent in in their supporting roles, while Sally Hawkins, Juliette Binoche, David Stratharian and Elizabeth Olsen are always dependable talents. Unfortunately, most of the cast is given little to work with, as the humans are often a means to the end, and that end is monster-on-monster action.

Nevertheless, while most of these actors aren't given awards-caliber performances, there are only a few truly underwhelming performances. Everyone is doing the best they can with their often paper-thin characters, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson often gets the worst of it. He's a talented actor who has proven his talents in a variety of different films, including Kick-Ass, Nowhere Boy and Nocturnal Animals, to name a few noteworthy examples of late.

Sadly, however, like I said in the introduction, his character in this film is a wet blanket who isn't as much fun as his title co-star. Nevertheless, most of these actors do commendable work to sell the gravitas in this otherwise campy genre exercise, and their hard work and talents can be under-appreciated.

Will I call Godzilla (2014) a perfect movie? No. Because it's not. Like I said, it has its flaws, and it has its shortcomings. While Godzilla: King of the Monsters seems like it will be providing the non-stop, wall-to-wall monster action that hungry fans were expecting from this much-anticipated remake, I don't think it's fair to give this Godzilla movie the cold shoulder in the process.

On its own merits, Gareth Edwards made a well-crafted, exhilarating monster movie with Godzilla (2014), one that should be admired much more than it is. And I hope I provided some compelling reasons for why that should be the case.

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Spider-Man: Far From Home's Stars Are Confused About That Endgame 'Plot Hole'

Spider-Man: Far From Home's Stars Are Confused About That Endgame 'Plot Hole'

SPOILERS from Avengers: Endgame ahead.

There should be a class at Peter Parker's high school covering Spider-Man: Far From Home's connections to Avengers: Endgame. There are things I get, but also a few questions and plot conveniences I suspect we're supposed to just accept since (deep breath) none of this is real.

Now that Avengers: Endgame is in theaters explaining how Peter Parker even could get a sequel to Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home is ready for its debut. That leaves the Spider-Man cast to answer any lingering spoilery questions, and they are not up to the task.

Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, and Jacob Batalon were all on Jimmy Kimmel Live when Kimmel asked about the five-year time jump in Avengers: Endgame. If five years have passed for everyone, why are Peter, Ned, MJ, and others still in high school? The cast members looked at each other and laughed.

Tom Holland: Why … why are we still in high school? [laughs]

Jacob Batalon: I mean, it might be one of the biggest plot holes of all time.

Cobie Smulders: I don’t want to pull that thread. I don’t know.

It doesn't seem like the kind of thing they'd avoid talking about for fear of spoilers, since the question itself comes from knowledge of Avengers: Endgame. They may just not understand. Did the time jump idea just not come up during Far From Home filming?!

Avengers: Endgame co-writer Stephen McFeely did address this "plot hole" with CinemaBlend. He said any of the teens who look the same age would've been part of the 50% that turned to dust during The Decimation of Avengers: Infinity War. When they returned in Endgame, five years hadn't passed for them. To McFeely, it makes perfect sense:

That one seems easy to me. Isn't it clear that anybody who looks the same blipped, and they're back just like [Peter] is? I don't know what happens in [Spider-Man: Far From Home] at all, but I can only assume that most of the main characters got blipped, and maybe some ancillary characters are now older, and then you'll get some comedy from that? I don't know.

As he emphasized, he doesn't know what happens in Spider-Man: Far From Home. That wasn't part of his job to explain. The first Far From Home trailer showed several characters from Spider-Man: Homecoming. Not only do we have Peter and Ned and MJ, there's also Tony Revolori back as Peter's bully Flash Thompson, and Angourie Rice as Betty Brant.

So they were all part of the 50% snapped, and now they're back and returning to high school? Are their classmates all people who used to be five years younger than them? Are their former classmates now in college? Will that angle be explored at all, or not part of the overall story?

Spider-Man: Far From Home is set after the events of Avengers: Endgame, but still shows Peter Parker in mourning for Tony Stark. The story also shows Peter going to Europe on a school trip with his classmates. Nick Fury tasks him with a mission, and he meets up with Quentin Beck/Mysterio. So far, it sounds like a lot of the mystery will be about Mysterio and the Elementals, and not so much dusted high school kids coming to grips with the fact that half of their classmates lived without them for five years. (Save those storylines for The Leftovers and Manifest, I suppose.)

Spider-Man: Far From Home opens in theaters on July 2, as one of the many movies worth keeping an eye on with our handy 2019 movie schedule.

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Toy Story 4 Already Revealed An Awesome Disney Easter Egg

Toy Story 4 Already Revealed An Awesome Disney Easter Egg

Yesterday, Toy Story 4 presented devotees of the series with another glimpse of the magic that the third sequel in the series is looking to offer. And like clockwork, there's already a huge easter egg that's been plucked out of that recent round of footage, as you'll see below. If you've been wondering what Boo from Monsters Inc. has been up to, it looks like you're about to find out.

Looking in the top right corner of this screengrab from the latest trailer for Toy Story 4, Boo seems to be present while Bonnie is hard at work crafting Forky. It's the sort of moment you can miss if you blink at the wrong time, but even in the slightly out of focus frame, it looks just like the little girl who won the world over in Pixar's 2001 effort. Strangely enough, this theory is bolstered even more by two other occurrences in the Toy Story universe.

Apparently, this isn't the first time Boo has popped up in Toy Story history, as Toy Story 3 also was believed to have Boo attending Sunnyside Daycare alongside little Bonnie. This easter egg was shown during the first time the toys saw gentle Butterfly Room in effect. Seen playing with a blue cat toy and a girl dressed as a sunflower, the connection between Toy Story and Boo started to come into focus. Or did it?

We all know that Pixar loves to use easter eggs to tie their films together, be they past or present. And the Toy Story saga isn't the first time that Boo has found a connection to a character from the series. In Monster's Inc., Boo had her own Jessie doll she tried to show to Sully before he left for good. So if anything, the studio is being consistent with the connection between these two particular worlds, with Boo returning yet again for Toy Story 4.

Of course, there's a chance that this theory from Twitter could turn out to to be, indeed, just something that folks thought they saw as a fact. But with all the evidence in front of us, it looks like Boo is indeed going to be in Toy Story 4. Should the film confirm that fact, it'll be yet another moment of Disney/Pixar history for the ages.

Toy Story 4 will come out and play in theaters on June 21st. But you don't have to wait that long for your next cinematic rodeo, with the 2019 release schedule already packed with plenty of adventure between now and then. And if you're really heated about the debate over whether or not that's really Boo in the trailer for Woody, Buzz, and the gang's latest adventure, we have a poll that we'd like you to take below to help settle the matter.

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John Wick: Chapter 4 Is Already Happening

John Wick: Chapter 4 Is Already Happening

Not only is John Wick skilled at killing people, his movies have also become increasingly better at killing it at the box office. The latest release, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, has pulled in over $93 million worldwide so far, and it kicked off Avengers: Endgame as the highest grossing domestic release this past weekend. Well, Lionsgate didn’t waste anytime giving the green light to John Wick: Chapter 4; we can expect it two years from now.

One of the ways John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum has been marketing itself is through texts from The Continental making those who subscribe to those texts feel like their an assassin being updated by the hotel. Well, today the message was sent out that John Wick: Chapter 4 is slated for release on May 21, 2021.

With all the money John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum has pulled in so far, as well as the positive critical reception it has received, it’s hardly shocking that Lionsgate wants to keep the story going. While Keanu Reeves is arguably still best known for the Bill & Ted and Matrix movies, the John Wick franchise is his latest big claim to fame, and the actor has said he’s game to keep playing the character as long as people are still interested in these tales. Now we can look forward to at least one more chapter in this intense, violent saga.

Warning: SPOILERS for John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum are ahead!

Needless to say that John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum put John through all kinds of hell, just like its predecessors, from being hunted down by fellow assassins looking to collect the $14 million on his head to fighting off High Table operatives that invaded Winston’s branch of The Continental. He even cut off his own finger just to show commitment to The Elder, one of the High Table members, although that loyalty didn’t last long. Ultimately, the threequel ended with John in his worst state yet: being shot several times by Winston and falling off the roof of The Continental.

Fortunately for John, he was retrieved by the Tick Tock Man and deposited before The Bowery King, who had been severely injured earlier in Parabellum as punishment for helping John in Chapter 2. Forced underground, Bowery King informed John that he’s “pissed off” about what The High Table did to him and asked if John felt the same way, to which John simply responded, “Yeah.”

There weren’t any plot details accompanying the John Wick: Chapter 4 release date announcement, but we can reasonably assume that the next installment will see John, Bowery King and whatever allies they can scrounge up waging war against The High Table. Whether that conflict will be wrapped up at the end of Chapter 4 or if it will extend into a potential Chapter 5 remains to be seen, but at least fans of this franchise can take comfort knowing this has evolved from a trilogy to a longer film series.

As mentioned earlier, you can look forward to John Wick: Chapter 4 hitting theaters in late May 2021, and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for continuing coverage on its development. In the meantime, you can learn what’s coming to the silver screen this year in our 2019 release schedule.

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Emilia Clarke Passed On Fifty Shades Of Grey Over Nudity Concerns

Emilia Clarke Passed On Fifty Shades Of Grey Over Nudity Concerns

After portraying Daenerys Targaryen for almost a decade, Emilia Clarke is entering a new era. Although her Game of Thrones character will continue to be iconic for years to come, her upcoming roles in films such as Last Christmas and Above Suspicion will certainly seek to brush off the Mother of Dragons.

Years ago, the actress was famously considered for another huge adaptation of a series of novels. Before Dakota Johnson took on Anastasia Steele in Fifty Shades of Grey, Emilia Clarke had been in talks to join the franchise. As she moves forward in her career, the actress has got candid about why Fifty Shades wasn’t the right move for her at the time. In her words:

The last time that I was naked on camera on [Game of Thrones] was a long time ago, and yet it is the only question that I ever get asked because I am a woman. And it’s annoying as hell and I’m sick and tired of it because I did it for the character — I didn’t do it so some guy could check out my tits, for God’s sake.

The downside of playing a character as loved as Daenerys is it’s going to be tough for her to shake her off. It hasn’t helped that the Game of Thrones character is quite well known for her nude scenes early on in the series. Emilia Clarke agreed to bare it all in service of Dany and the show, but it seems like it backfired a bit when it constantly became the center of conversation.

Her beautiful blues are up here! After Game of Thrones Season 3, the Mother of Dragons eased up on showing skin, but when another role revolved around nudity and sex presented itself, Clarke didn’t want much of anything do with it. She continued to The Hollywood Reporter with this:

I did a minimal amount and I'm pigeonholed for life, so me saying yes to that, where the entire thing is about sensuality and sex and being naked and all of that stuff, I was just like, ‘No way am I going to voluntarily walk into that situation and then never be able to look someone in the eye and be like, 'No, you can't keep asking me this question.'

It wasn’t only this that led Emilia Clarke to pass on Fifty Shade of Grey though. With the longevity of her Game of Thrones character, the actress is simply uninterested in doing movies with sequels attached for a while. She had previously said that she didn’t think she’d be able to take the “enormity” of the E.L. James’ series in her lap, though she was impressed by Sam-Taylor Johnson’s vision. Even after the movies’ success, the actress has no regrets about not taking it on.

Emilia Clarke wasn’t the only star to skip out on Fifty Shades of Grey and be content about it. Charlie Hunnam was also close contender for Christian Grey, but he cited his decision against it to him being a germaphobe and having scheduling conflicts, even though the actor knows full well he missed out on a fortune by turning down the role.

In the end, it was meant to be for Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson. The pair came out on the other side of the franchise thankful and with exciting careers ahead of them.

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