Every How To Train Your Dragon 2 Voice Actor Who Should Return For The Live-Action Sequel

One of the best things about the "How to Train Your Dragon" remake is that it brings a cast member from the 2010 animated film back for the live-action version. Gerard Butler reprises his role as Stoick the Vast, complete with extra facial hair and his signature booming voice, and relishes every moment. It's not a jarring casting choice, but rather one that fans will be happy to see, as Butler seamlessly falls back into the part. Thanks to his successful integration into live-action, it makes us wonder whether there's any space in this new take on the world of dragons and Vikings to allow some other cast members from the original trilogy to do the same.

With the live-action "How to Train Your Dragon" teeing up the arrival of characters we know appear in "How to Train Your Dragon 2" to show up in its live-action sequel, it only makes sense that director Dean DeBlois call some of the original voice actors, like he did for Butler. In fact, there's one key character linked to Stoick that, if they did manage to bring back, could lead to one of the most romantic moments in the franchise being re-enacted and causing us to cry our hearts out all over again.

The big twist in "How to Train Your Dragon 2" was that Hiccup's mother, whom he believed had died from a dragon attack when he was a child, is actually still alive and caring for a vast group of them in a hidden location. Brought to life in the sequel by Cate Blanchett, the emotional weight of Valka Haddock's story lies in the reunion she has with the husband she has spent years hiding from. The revelation leads to one of the franchise's best moments when, without missing a beat, Stoick puts all the secrets aside and confesses, "You're as beautiful as the day I lost you," proving just how much of an absolute gent Hiccup's dad really is.

Bringing that moment to life through the live-action performances from Butler and Blanchett would be so much more than fan service. There's real emotional weight to this, which Butler has proven he can carry on top of his heavy Viking gear and fake beard. Blanchett would also make for some extra star power that the franchise isn't necessarily lacking, but belongs in this world that DeBlois has (so far) done a good job of making a reality.

You want to know how old "How to Train Your Dragon 2" is? It arrived in theaters the same year we reached season 4 of "Game of Thrones," and the world barely knew who Pedro Pascal was. Looking to capitalize on the dragon love that everyone was experiencing at the time, "How to Train Your Dragon 2" cast Jon Snow himself, Kit Harington, in the role of Eret, a dragon hunter who was under the employ of Drago Bludvist (more on him later). Swiftly overwhelmed by Hiccup and his pals early on in the film, Eret eventually switches sides and fights the good fight here and in "How to Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World." By the final chapter in the trilogy, Eret even ends up on Hiccup's council as his second-in-command. 

Casting Harington as Eret would cement the brilliant bit of meta-casting from the original film, and allow the former Jon Snow to show us how he could handle more of a comedic role while giving the uncomfortable process of dragon-riding another go. For the majority of his career, the former "Game of Thrones" star has rarely fired into funny territory besides the brilliant tennis mockumentary "7 Days in Hell," but here he'd have a chance. Seeing him play up on his history with dragons would be a treat, and we also wouldn't be against him revisiting his audition tape for "How to Train Your Dragon 3" in 2018, either.

Adding Djimon Hounsou to any film makes it considerably more enjoyable, so it would be a smart option for the Oscar-nominated actor to get the call and reprise his role as Drago Bludvist in "How to Train Your Dragon 2." Making his debut in 2014 as Hiccup's first big enemy, Bludvist was a dragon hunter with a massive winged army at his disposal after taking control of the Alpha dragon, the Bewilderbeast.

In the original sequel, there is a small amount of time spent looking into the backstory of Bludvist, when he reveals to Hiccup that his village was destroyed by a dragon attack, resulting in him making a lifelong promise to rule them, and the world. It's this little plot thread that, if DeBlois was feeling bold enough, could be explored further in the live-action version, and give a talent like Hounsou even more to work with. The 2025 remake has already added some extra plot threads here and there, and this would be a great opportunity to do the same for what comes next.

After appearing in the likes of the MCU and multiple roles in the DCEU, Hounsou being the big bad for the live-action "How to Train Your Dragon 2" could bring some weight to a franchise that's inevitably going to expand. When you make a follow-up, you need to turn things up a notch, and there's absolutely no question that Hounsou would be the perfect way to do it by coming back as Bludvist.