Baldur’s Gate 3 Fans Rally for Neil Newbon to Play Astarion in HBO Adaptation

With the announcement of a Baldur’s Gate HBO series, the community surrounding Baldur’s Gate 3 is buzzing with speculation about casting. While no official casting news has emerged yet, and it may be a while before we see any, we do know that Craig Mazin, known for his work on The Last of Us, is set to be the showrunner, and Larian Studios won’t be involved in the production. Fans are already voicing their preferences for who should portray the beloved vampire-rogue, Astarion.

According to player votes on a fan-casting platform, Neil Newbon, the voice actor who originally brought Astarion to life, is the top choice for the role. Newbon, who won Best Performance for his work as Astarion at the 2023 Game Awards, is the only voice actor from Baldur’s Gate 3 that users have selected to reprise their role. He currently holds 23 votes in favor, with just 8 against, giving him a score of 15 points. In second place is Tom Blyth, who has 26 votes for him but 16 against, resulting in a score of 10 points. Other actors fans are considering for Astarion include Jamie Campbell Bower, Tom Hiddleston, Tom Felton, and Ewan Mitchell.

The fan-casting page also features several Game of Thrones alumni, such as Sophie Turner as Mizora, Iwan Rheon as Lord Enver Gortash, Gwendoline Christie as Dame Aylin, and Nathalie Emmanuel as the tiefling bard, Alfira. Additionally, Brennan Lee Mulligan, known for his role as Dungeon Master in Dimension 20, is currently the top pick for Valeria, a Hollyphant detective in Baldur’s Gate.

However, it’s important to note that the direction of the casting is ultimately up to Craig Mazin, and Astarion may not even appear in the series. The HBO show isn’t a direct adaptation of Baldur’s Gate 3 but rather a continuation of the story that picks up where the game left off. Since the game’s conclusion can vary greatly based on player choices, some endings may not see Astarion survive. The series will feature both original characters created for the show and some familiar faces from Larian’s game, but details on which characters will return remain under wraps.

Still, it’s hard to envision a narrative set right after Baldur’s Gate 3 that doesn’t include Astarion—after all, he thrives on attention as much as he does on blood. Newbon himself seems to share this sentiment, expressing his willingness to reprise his role in a live-action Baldur’s Gate project.

“Astarion was one of those roles that I got to live for four and a half years,” he mentioned in a recent interview. “He’s never really left me, and I’d love to keep playing him. Most of my characters I play once and then the story ends, and I can give a fond farewell. But for some reason, Astarion is still lingering. I get such a kick out of playing him, and I hope to see more.”