With epic fantasy as a genre blowing up in movies and TV in recent years, more and more A-list actors have joined the casts of stellar fantasy shows. As many things are concerning fantasy, this is traceable back to Game of Thrones. HBO recruited a mix of industry legends and newer stars that would undeniably become A-listers because of their tenures with Game of Thrones, despite limited movie appearances.
This has given rise to some of the best fantasy TV ensemble casts, who make the best fantasy TV shows of all time so through their portrayals of a variety of complex individual and interconnected arcs. While ensemble casts usually include at least a few up-and-coming actors, recent popular fantasy series drew attention with individual standout performances by A-listers. This includes some surprising castings in great animated fantasy shows, as animation’s industry status also changes.
10 The Sandman (2022-Present)
Starring David Thewlis
The Sandman features a handful of very well-known actors, including Game of Thrones veterans Charles Dance and Gwendoline Christie. The show is overall overwhelmed by spectacular performances, including Tom Sturridge’s surrealistic detachment as Dream and Kirby Howell-Baptiste’s strange compassion as Death.
Dance had a longer career than Christie before Game of Thrones, but David Thewlis probably fits the most typical idea of an A-lister in this show’s cast. Thewlis plays the demented John Dee, the descendant of Dream’s captor who develops a chilling god complex.
Thewlis’ role in The Sandman is brief, but he makes an impact when he sets out to correct the world with absolute honesty, armed with the stolen Dreamstone. His conviction in his misaligned vision is haunting, contributing to the show’s multi-faced discourse on how Dream and entities like him interact with humanity.
9 Kaos (2024-Present)
Starring Jeff Goldblum
Netflix’s answer to Good Omens, Kaos is a contemporary, comedic retelling of Greek mythology focusing on Jeff Goldblum’s Zeus. The king of the gods believes that the end of the world might be coming, leading to a twisting adventure involving six humans that repurposes the myth of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Kaos explores the skewed power balance between the gods and humans, with Zeus positioned as the flawed protagonist overcome by his own power.
Key to this story and the themes it develops is Goldblum’s performance as a tyrannical and insecure Zeus. Other acclaimed actors appear playing various deities and mortals, including Thewlis as Hades for his second outing with Greek mythology. Fans are hoping for Kaos season 2 to further explore Zeus’ character, meaning more impressive acting from Goldblum as he furthers the story of the fall of a dictator.
8 Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023)
Starring The Cast Of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
It’s impressive because, in that time, most of these people have become a lot more famous.
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off impressively managed to re-recruit most of the cast from the now nearly 15-year-old movie adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s graphic novel series. It’s impressive because, in that time, most of these people have become a lot more famous. Michael Cera and Anna Kendrick have done several great movies apiece, Chris Evans and Brie Larson are both MCU alumni (and the latter an Oscar winner), Mae Whitman has continued to float through great TV, and Kieran Culkin has arguably proven himself to be the most talented of all of them with Succession.
Yet the original cast is a vital piece of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off‘s skillful meta-engagement with the movie, the source material, and some of the prevailing criticisms about the characters. They all do a praise-worthy job translating their characters into animation, even though not all of them have a ton of experience with voice acting. Several more properties have anime spinoffs coming up, but Scott Pilgrim Takes Off has set a high standard.
7 Penny Dreadful (2014-2016)
Starring Eva Green
A short-lived series with a base of fervent proponents, Penny Dreadful caters to fans of a specific fantasy subgenre and aesthetic, of lampshade fantasy and classic monsters. Literary figures like Victor Frankenstein and Dorian Gray parade through this gothic fantasy and horror series. Meanwhile, Eva Green has become a staple of witchy, gothic fantasy, naturally fitting Tim Burton’s signature style in movies including Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and Dumbo.
A-lister Helen McCrory also appears in a dozen episodes of Penny Dreadful, bringing her own experience with gothic horror. However, Green has emerged as the defining star of this alluring fantasy series. Vanessa Ives is framed as a heroic protagonist trying to do her best, but anyone familiar with Green knows that the character’s arc and her consideration of the nature of evil are far more complicated.
6 Gravity Falls (2012-2016)
Starring Linda Cardellini & J. K. Simmons
Gravity Falls predates the advent of hard fantasy in TV but spawned its own brand of fantasy within Disney Channel and outside it, combined with the effects of shows like Rick and Morty and Adventure Time. Gravity Falls has a strong cast of lesser-known stars, making all the characters lovably hilarious, alongside show creator Alex Hirsch voicing about half the supporting cast.
However, Gravity Falls has some surprisingly major actors among the town’s strange residents. For instance, Linda Cardellini was with the show from the beginning as Wendy’s voice actor, the coolest person in town who is always level-headed, even during the scariest Gravity Falls episodes.
Meanwhile, J. K. Simmons abruptly joined the cast in the final stretch of episodes as “Grunkle” Stan’s twin brother Ford. Simmons’ authoritative voice is perfect for Ford — delivering matter-of-fact statements that are completely hilarious — delightfully surprising as it is that the show got him.
5 Merlin (1998)
Starring Sam Neill
Sam Neill has proven that he is open to doing some low-brow roles — for the fans. He joined the original/legacy mashup of Jurassic World Dominion alongside Goldblum and Laura Dern and played “Actor Odin” in two Thor movies. Yet outside his biggest blockbusters and most critically acclaimed movies, Neill took on the role of a legendary sorcerer in an average-reviewed but deeply underrated fantasy series.
Neill first played Merlin in the 1998 TV miniseries Merlin, and again later in 2006’s Merlin’s Apprentice. The former included a handful of A-listers such as James Earl Jones, Helena Bonham Carter, Martin Short, and Isabella Rossellini, while Miranda Richardson reprised her role as the Lady of the Lake for Merlin’s Apprentice. Arthuriana has proven to be difficult to adapt, but these two miniseries are an interesting point in its evolution, proceeding the longer fan-favorite series Merlin.
4 Andor (2022-2025)
Starring Diego Luna & Stellan Skarsgård
Diego Luna is an experienced actor who elevated Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and graced Disney+ with his presence for a prequel series about his character. Luna gives a stellar performance as Cassian Andor comes to the decision to join the Rebellion, for which he won a Golden Globe nomination. Andy Serkis is also highly praised for his three-episode arc, becoming one of the times an actor played multiple characters in a franchise and it worked.
However, probably the most famous person in Andor who is a regular part of season 1 is Stellan Skarsgård, playing the enigmatic and ruthless leader of the pre-Rebel Alliance Rebellion. Luthen Rael is probably doomed in Andor season 2, but Skarsgård’s portrayal of harsh leadership characterizes the attitude of the rebels and the show overall. Fiona Shaw also stars in Andor, showcasing a different perspective of the Empire’s rise to power as Cassian’s aging adoptive mother makes her own stand.
3 Hazbin Hotel (2024-Present)
Starring Keith David
David’s time to shine is Hazbin Hotel’s best song, the jazzy number “Loser, Baby,” performed alongside Blake Roman.
Hazbin Hotel features a lot of amazing talent who aren’t A-listers in the way most people would think of them, their claims to fame mostly being TV and Broadway shows. Some might argue that Stephanie Beatriz deserves to be called an A-lister, but Keith David is the only cast member who no one can deny as such. Beatriz and David both contribute to the Hazbin Hotel cast by being more jaded characters, serving as natural foils to others.
David is a legend for classics like The Thing and Armageddon, but his more recent career goes to show that Hollywood would be the lesser for it if he had not also gotten into voice acting and musicals. His Hazbin Hotel character Husk throws around biting comments to compete with everyone else, as the hotel’s moody bartender. However, David’s time to shine is Hazbin Hotel‘s best song, the jazzy number “Loser, Baby,” performed alongside Blake Roman.
2 His Dark Materials (2019-2022)
Starring James McAvoy
His Dark Materials had its work cut out for it as the closest thing to Game of Thrones’ official successor, also an HBO original based on a famed fantasy novel series. It cast many great choices: Dafne Keen and Amir Wilson have flawless chemistry, while Ruth Wilson and Ruta Gedmintas deliver in their key roles. In the aftermath of Hamilton, Lin Manuel-Miranda is clearly being offered a lot of supporting roles from people wanting to capitalize on popularity — but his performance in His Dark Materials shows he can hold his own as an actor, with absolutely no music involved.
James McAvoy is the show’s A-lister, facing the challenge of portraying the maniacal Lord Asriel. Asriel starts on a crusade to better the world by overthrowing the Magisterium and the Authority, but shows that he is willing to resort to depraved acts to win. It falls on McAvoy to portray Asriel as his daughter Lyra sees him: brilliant, but so focused on his cause that he becomes uncaring of individual people.
1 Good Omens (2019-Present)
Starring David Tennant & Michael Sheen
Good Omens is, of course, made possible by the enjoyably compelling performances and singularly unique chemistry of David Tennant and Michael Sheen. Fantasy icons Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett created a bizarre story, but the two lead actors made the adaptation possible.
Tennant and Sheen portray exaggerated individual personas, which blend with realistic inner turmoil. The demon Crowley is a punk rock rebel with unbelievable flair and wit, while the angel Aziraphale demonstrates a sweetness and intelligence that is not too cloying. Through their friendship, more about what they think are their shortcomings comes to light.
Good Omens also boasts some other hugely famous actors, like John Hamm as the angel Gabriel and Frances McDormand as the voice of God. The willingness of A-list actors to commit to the bit of fantasy, including and especially in the case of goofier shows like Good Omens, is part of what is taking fantasy to new heights in the 2020s.
