Published May 29, 2026, 3:01 PM EDT Michael Abubakar will play Ned Stark in The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Game of Thrones prequel Game of Thrones recasts Ned Stark for its next big project Image: HBO Max For those interested in seeing Westeros on the stage, The Royal Shakespeare Company revealed the full cast for the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel play, The Mad King . Michael Abubakar will take the reins from Sean Bean to portray Ned Stark. Abubakar has an extensive theater background, having played Romeo in the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland's Romeo & Juliet , Jimmy in Almeida Theatre's Roots , and more. As for the full cast list , Michael Shaffer plays King Aerys II Targaryen, with Noah Ritter as Prince Rhaegar, Harmony Rose-Bremner as Lyanna Stark, Maxim Ays as Jaime Lannister, Callum Woodhouse as Robert Baratheon, and Elizabeth Ayodele as Elia Martell.…