Matt Smith
The former 'Doctor Who' star has been cast as one of the Targaryen's most powerful dragonriders. (Photo: Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0))

Big things are finally happening for the Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon. The previous week saw the announcement of the main cast and confirmed that Matt Smith will be joining the highly anticipated HBO show. Not surprisingly, the former Doctor Who actor is excited about his new project and even admitted that he is looking forward to riding dragons.

HBO has previously announced the main cast of House of the Dragon that will be led by Paddy Considine. The Peaky Blinders star will be joined by Ready Player One actress Olivia Cooke, Emma D'Arcy of Truth Seekers, and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies actor Matt Smith. The actors will play Daenerys Targaryen's ancestors who once ruled the Seven Kingdoms 300 years before her birth.

Paddy Considine is the first name attached to the Game of Thrones prequel, and he has been confirmed to play Viserys I Targaryen, the chosen King of the Seven Kingdoms. Meanwhile, there were speculations that Matt Smith had been cast as Viserys' treacherous brother Daemon Targaryen, who aims to take the Iron Throne. Not surprisingly, these rumors have been confirmed.

So what does Matt Smith have to say about his new role in the Game of Thrones prequel? The former Doctor Who star recently joined his co-stars Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, and Jenna Coleman during a virtual panel for GalaxyCon. During the panel, Smith was asked if he could share any details about House of the Dragon and although he chose to play coy, the Morbius star did admit to being excited about one thing.

"Without saying too much...I'm looking forward to riding a few dragons...if I get to. I mean, I don't know. Who knows?" Smith said.

Matt Smith might be being secretive about his role but those who have read George R.R. Martin's novels already know that he will able to ride a dragon. After all, Daemon Targaryen was one of the most notorious warriors of his time, wielding a Valyrian steel sword he called Dark Sister and riding the dragon Caraxes. He would later try and take the Iron Throne from his brother Viserys Targaryen and cause the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons.

For now, HBO has not yet announced the official production start date for House of the Dragon. However, fans can rest assured that the Game of Thrones prequel series is set to premiere sometime in 2022.