House of the Dragon will see the arrival of House Velaryon, a House of noble Black seafarers and the wealthiest family in Westeros, aside from the crown, of course.
But in George RR Martin's original novels, those in House Velaryon were described as generally white, with silver hair and purple eyes – in House of the Dragon, they won't be.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly ahead of the prequel series' release this summer, co-showrunner Ryan Condal explained why he and Miguel Sapochnik had decided to deviate from the source material and cast Black actors in the Velaryon roles.
What to Read Next
Related: House of the Dragon release date, cast, plot and everything you need to know
"The world is very different now than it was 10 years ago when [Game of Thrones] all started," Condal said. "It's different than 20 years ago when Peter Jackson made The Lord of the Rings."
Arguing that there needs to be greater inclusivity than there "traditionally" has been in these types of stories, Condal continued: "It was very important for Miguel and I to create a show that was not another bunch of white people on the screen, just to put it very bluntly."
Condal also revealed that Martin had "considered the idea of making Velaryons a race of Black people with silver hair", who came from the other side of the ocean and conquered Westeros.
Related: Game of Thrones' new spin-off reveals look at new dragon
"That's a fascinating idea," he added. "And that always really stuck with me because it's such a stark image. I just thought, 'Well, why couldn't we do a version of that now?'"
Alongside the likes of Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, and Emma D'Arcy for House Targaryen, Steve Toussaint, Outlander's Wil Johnson, John Macmillan, Savannah Steyn, and Theo Nate will be bringing the 'Sea Snakes' of House Velaryon to life.
House of the Dragon will premiere in August 2022, airing on HBO in the US, and Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK. Game of Thrones seasons 1-8 are available on DVD and Blu-ray.
![Game of Thrones Seasons 1-8 - The Complete Series [DVD] [2019]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1565172650-51BUKLhbT-L.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Game of Thrones Seasons 1-8 - The Complete Series [DVD] [2019]")
HBO/Warner Home Video Game of Thrones Seasons 1-8 - The Complete Series [DVD] [2019]
![For The Throne (Music Inspired by the HBO Series Game of Thrones) [Explicit]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1556635717-51Ep4em2vxL.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "For The Throne (Music Inspired by the HBO Series Game of Thrones) [Explicit]")
Columbia For The Throne (Music Inspired by the HBO Series Game of Thrones) [Explicit]
Michael Joseph Game of Thrones: A Guide to Westeros and Beyond: The Complete Series
Penguin Random House George RR Martin's A Game of Thrones Leather-Cloth Boxed Set
