It’s a grand age for DC fans. As the modern DCEU races to catch up with Marvel, more and more on-screen adaptations of DC titles are being unveiled every day. From TV shows like The Flash and Supergirl to upcoming films like Wonder Woman and Justice League, it’s exciting to watch the world of DC Comics come to life on screen. With titles like Batman and Green Arrow spawning successful TV show universes, it almost feels like no DC gold has yet gone untapped — almost.

When Syfy announced that it was producing a series called Krypton two years ago, fans were intrigued. Though news about the upcoming show then petered out for a bit, it looks like its pilot is finally heading into production. This means we’ve been able to report some exciting Krypton casting news over the past few weeks, including last week’s reveal of who will play protagonist Seg-El, which came on the heels of news as to who will play young lead Lyta Zod. Though the show has thus far cast fresh faces for its young roles, it seems that screen veteran Ian McElhinney, of Game of Thrones fame, has officially joined the Krypton cast.


McElhinney will play Seg-El’s grandfather, Val-El. A report from Deadline describes the character as “a rogue genius who believes that space exploration is a basic form of self-defense…he has tried, without success, to warn the Kryptonian elite about the arrival of an ancient threat.” McElhinney is joined by five other new cast members. Elliot Cowan (Da Vinci’s Demons) will play Daron Vex, Chief Magistrate of Kandor; Ann Ogbomo (World War Z) will play Primus Alura Zod, a military commander and Lyta’s mother; Rasmus Hardiker (Your Highness) will play Kem, Seg-El’s best friend; Wallis Day (The Royals) will play Nessa Vex, Daron’s daughter; and Aaron Pierre (Tennison) will play military cadet Dev-Em.

Ian McElhinney Game of Thrones Syfys Krypton Series Adds Game of Thrones Actor & More To Its Cast
Ian McElhinney is perhaps best known for portraying Barristan Selmy for four seasons of HBO’s hit series Game of Thrones. For the majority of his 25 episodes on the show, Selmy acted as an adviser to Daenerys before meeting his end in season 5. The Northern Irish actor has an illustrious career that spans over 30 years and also includes roles in such works as Gillian Anderson-led drama The Fall and the 1996 film adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Though McElhinney’s resume mostly boasts strictly dramatic roles, it’s clear from his tenure on Thrones that he’s more than capable of working within fantasy/sci-fi as well. It would be especially relevant to see McElhinney as Val-El advise the brash young Seg-El, since such a relationship could reflect the one between Selmy and Daenerys on Game of Thrones.

In the end, it will be the fans’ decision whether or not Krypton is really worth the watch. And it will be interesting to see their reactions, especially given the controversial fan reception of recent Superman films like Man of Steel and Batman V Superman.

Krypton is still in the early stages of production. We will keep you updated on this series as it develops.