A prominentGame of Thronesstar has joined the cast ofFoundationseason 3, and he shared a bit about his “childish character.“Foundationseason 3’snew cast members include Pilou Asbæk, an actor who many audience members will recognize for playing Euron Greyjoy inGame of Thrones. He plays the Mule, the season’s primary antagonist.
Speaking withScreen Rant’sAsh Crossan aboutFoundationseason 3, Pilou Asbæk shared some details about his character. Hedescribes the Mule as “this childish character who never really grew up and [had] no boundaries.“He goes into detail explaining how these critical backstory choices influenced his performance and the character’s actions.
Screen Rant: Performance-wise, what aspects were you looking at to make [The Mule’s] power feel so scary and real onscreen?
Pilou Asbæk: It was very important that we created a character. That’s the reason why he eats in the first scene. He’s just there. He’s just like, “Life; it’s happening. All right, I’m going to go with it.” And one of the things I was very inspired by, it was The Little Prince. That’s also the reason why he’s got a red cape–because I wanted to create a guy who doesn’t really understand the world he’s part of, because he has never really experienced true connection with anyone.
As a human being, we behave in a certain way and we mirror each other’s emotions. If I say something rude to you, you will react, [and] I will learn that’s a bad way to act because I made you sad [and] that feels bad within me, et cetera. The Mule doesn’t have that, because he has never experienced it. So, I wanted to create this childish character who never really grew up and [had] no boundaries. There were no limits. It was just him against the world.
That’s the reason why he’s so isolated in the first scene. He doesn’t have anyone with him; it’s just him. He has his goons, but he doesn’t really connect with anyone. So, when people are approaching him and they want something, he’s like, “Ooh, this is new. Something interesting is happening. I like this.” And then he can either kiss them or kill them.”
What Pilou Asbæk’s Comments Mean For Foundation Season 3
The Mule Could Be An Outstanding Antagonist
Lee Pace’s Brother Day has been the central antagonist forFoundationso far, playing a pompous, tyrannical ruler whose influence exists across time and space. Now, with Empire in decline followingFoundationseason 2’s ending,it’s the perfect time for a new villain to rise to power, and Pilou Asbæk’s description of the Mule is precisely what’s needed.
The Mule is a character who shakes everything up inFoundation, both narratively and thematically.
The Mule is a character who shakes everything up inFoundation, both narratively and thematically. Hari Seldon’s psychohistory plan suggests that humankind can be predicted by the psychological patterns of the masses, butthe Mule’s complete disregard for other human beings makes him a terrifying outlier.
Describing the Mule,Pilou Asbæk said, “There were no limits. It was just him against the world,“and that’s the precise role this character plays. He’s completely unshackled by the societal standards that play a role in Seldon’s predictions, and that frees him to disrupt the process of the galaxy’s changes.
Our Take On Pilou Asbæk As The Mule
Pilou Asbæk Plays An Over-The-Top Villain
Pilou Asbæk is an entertaining actor, and he’s the perfect performer for the job, given how he described the character. Just like inGame of Thrones,Pilou Asbæk is unleashing a wild, over-the-top villain with zero sympathy for others around himwho exists in the narrative purely to cause chaos and friction for others. However, that can’t be the whole story.
In Isaac Asimov’sFoundationbooks, the Mule is a mysterious character who is revealed to be much more than he seems. I’ve already theorized about the character’s role in the TV show, andI have a feeling Pilou Asbæk’s flashy performance is a purposeful distraction for something more sinister happening, which could be really exciting.
There’s something to be said about a villain character who’s evil for the sake of evil, which sounds like the character Pilou Asbæk is playing. That said, given how season 2 established this character, I believe Apple TV+‘sFoundationis hiding a drastic portion of the Mule’s narrative for season 3.
