A live-action How To Train Your Dragon 2 is already happening, and it must bring back these two actors from the animated movie. The first of Universal and DreamWorks’ live-action How To Train Your Dragon movies is set for release in just a few months. It was well known that the studios hoped this could become a major franchise, replicating the success of the animated trilogy. However, that has already become a reality with the announcement that a live-action How To Train Your Dragon 2 is already in the works and set for a 2027 release date.
The live-action sequel’s announcement did not come with any confirmation of what the story will be. The most likely outcome is that it will adapt the second film in the animated trilogy. 2014’s animated How To Train Your Dragon 2 continued Hiccup and Toothless’s story with familiar and new characters factoring into the narrative. There’s now an expectation that the same fresh faces will appear in the live-action sequel. And while How To Train Your Dragon‘s live-action remake cast mostly found new actors to play known roles, the sequel doesn’t have to recast all the new characters.
Cate Blanchett & Djimon Hounsou Should Return As Valka & Drago In How To Train Your Dragon 2’s Live-Action Remake
Blanchett & Hounsou Voiced Characters In How To Train Your Dragon 2
In terms of the new characters poised to appear in How To Train Your Dragon 2, the animated movie suggests this will be where audiences are re-introduced to Valka, Drago, and Eret. Valka is Hiccup’s believed-to-be-ᴅᴇᴀᴅ mother, while Drago is a Dragon hunter and the main villain. Eret is a dragon trapper who joins forces with the Burk vikings. Cate Blanchett voiced Valka, Djimon Hounsou voiced Drago, and Kit Harington voiced Eret in How To Train Your Dragon 2. All three delivered great performances and set a high bar for the live-action remake.
That is why the live-action How To Train Your Dragon 2 would be smart to bring some of these actors back. This is easier to do with Cate Blanchett and Djimon Hounsou, though. Valka and Drago are adults who have been around for a long time, but their ages are never specified. It would work to bring Blanchett and Hounsou back and have Valka and Drago just be a bit older than they appear in animation. Both actors can also easily pᴀss for much younger if that was necessary for the story.
If any voice actors should return in live-action next, it’s them.
Kit Harington’s return as Eret is trickier to do. He’s meant to be closer in age to Hiccup, Astrid, and the other young adults, but Harington is nearly 40. They could tweak the character to facilitate Harington’s return if that is desired. But, Blanchett and Hounsou gave more memorable vocal performances and really made it more difficult to imagine anyone else playing Valka and Drago. If any voice actors should return in live-action next, it’s them.
Blanchett & Hounsou’s Returns For How To Train Your Dragon 2 Would Follow In Gerard Butler’s Footsteps
The Live-Action Franchise Already Brought A Major Star Back
Image via Universal Pictures
Bringing back voice actors is not a common practice for live-action remakes in Hollywood overall. How To Train Your Dragon has already done it once with Gerard Butler’s return as Stoick. He’s back as Hiccup’s father and the leader of Burk in the 2025 live-action remake, reprising the role he played in all three animated films. This was a no-brainer move in my mind the second a live-action How To Train Your Dragon movie was announced, and early reactions indicate that Butler’s return more than delivers.
That’s why I’d love to see Cate Blanchett and Djimon Hounsou come back in How To Train Your Dragon 2 next. They are both incredibly talented performers and can easily slide back into these roles without anyone questioning it. It’d be a great way to add more talent to How To Train Your Dragon 2 and continue the tradition of bringing back voice actors from the animated movies when it makes sense.
