Occasionally, a significant television show will alter its cast for reasons that baffle viewers and sometimes even the actors involved. Such was the case with Ed Skrein, who was replaced in Season 4 of “Game of Thrones” as Daario Naharis after portraying the character in three episodes of Season 3.

Skrein has suggested that there was a deeper reason for his character’s recasting, though he hasn’t gone into much detail. “In this industry you have politics and things like that, so nothing is ever as straightforward as it’s reported,” Skrein mentioned to The Huffington Post in 2015. While he didn’t elaborate on what made his departure from the show complex, his allusion to political dynamics behind the scenes could hint at the reasons for his exit. This could range from contractual matters to disagreements with the direction of the script. Nevertheless, he offered kind words about his successor. “Michiel Huisman’s done a great job taking over the mantle, and that’s the way it goes, you know?” he commented.

He further elaborated in an Entertainment Weekly interview, acknowledging, “It was a wonderful experience, but politics led to us parting ways.” Regardless of any political issues, Skrein has admirably moved forward in his acting career without holding grudges against HBO, even expressing openness to potentially returning to the role in the future.

Ed Skrein has definitely moved on in a major way from “Game of Thrones.” In the years since he left the show, he’s developed a name for himself in the action genre. He appears as Frank Martin Jr., taking over for Jason Statham in the “Transporter” universe sequel “The Transporter Refueled.” He played Ajax in “Deadpool,” Marc in “In Darkness” and Zapan in “Alita: Battle Angel.” While he’s rounded out his career with appearances in comedies and dramas, he’s mainly become known as a solid supporting figure in action films, and has become a reliable face in the genre to the point of becoming a major franchise player. 

To wit: more recently, he played Atticus Noble in two installments of the “Rebel Moon” saga and voiced Hilo in the series “Love, Death and Robots.” He will also play a member of Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) and Martin Krebb’s (Rupert Friend) team of scientific adventurers in the upcoming “Jurassic World: Rebirth.” 

While Ed Skrein obviously won’t get the chance to play Daario Naharis again — unless he appears in a prequel or midquel series for “Game of Thrones” — he admitted he’d be glad to do so at any time. While there may have been politics of some sort at the heart of his departure, apparently Skrein doesn’t have any hard feelings toward HBO regarding how things went down. 

“My plan was to stay with Game of Thrones for the long haul. That was always my plan. I would have loved to,” he admitted to Entertainment Weekly. Furthermore, he told The Huffington Post, “it was a character that I would’ve loved to have continued to portray, and he’s a wonderful character.” Though it’s clear the actor’s fond of the part, he’s got a percolating career and he’s clearly put the epic HBO fantasy series behind him. Yet some fans were definitely still bothered by the season 4 “Game of Thrones” change, and how Daario wasn’t used in the final season of “GoT,” having been left behind by Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) in Essos. Perhaps someday the stars will align and he’ll end up back in Westeros. Until then, audiences at least have their memories.