Emilia Clarke Now Has 2 Perfect Replacements For Her MCU Spy Thriller With 52% On Rotten Tomatoes

Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke is following up her role in Secret Invasion with starring roles in two new crime shows: Criminal and Ponies. Best known for her role as Daenerys Targaryen in the HBO fantasy series — which earned her four Emmy nominations — Clarke previously starred in a number of other popular franchises, portraying an alternative version of Sarah Connor in Terminator: Genisys as well as Han Solo’s first love interest, Qi’ra, in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Clarke has not since reprised either of these roles.

Prior to Secret Invasion, Clarke had not been the star of a television series since Game of Thrones ended in 2019, which saw the death of her character at the hands of Kit Harrington’s Jon Snow. Her upcoming roles in both Criminal and Ponies might be what finally puts Clarke back at the forefront of a big franchise.

Emilia Clarke Has Upcoming Leading Roles In Criminal & Ponies

Clarke Will Star In Two Crime Shows

In July 2024, it was announced that Clarke had been cast in the lead role for the television adaptation of the comic book series Criminal. The series will follow multiple generations of criminal families as they uncover the murders that connect their past. Emilia Clarke will play Criminal’s Mallory, an armed robber caught in a Bonnie-and-Clyde relationship with Ricky Lawless (Gus Halper). She will star alongside Luke Evans (Fast & Furious 6, Beauty and the Beast), Adria Arjona (Hit Man, Blink Twice), and Charlie Hunnam (King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, The Gentlemen).

More recently, Clarke was confirmed to be leading the Peacock spy thriller series Ponies. The series — set in Moscow, 1977 — will follow two “PONIES” (‘persons of no interest’) as they become CIA operatives and work to uncover a Cold War conspiracy following the mysterious deaths of their husbands. Clarke will portray Bea, one of the PONIES. Bea’s cohort, Twila, has not yet been cast.

Emilia Clarke’s Upcoming TV Roles Are The Perfect Follow Up To Secret Invasion

Secret Invasion Was A Disappointment For MCU Fans

Although Clarke’s upcoming roles in Criminal and Ponies are vastly different — one is based on the graphic novel by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, whilst the other is a Cold War espionage thriller — they provide the perfect opportunity to reestablish Clarke as a TV icon. Clarke was last seen on the small screen as G’iah in Marvel’s Secret Invasion. The series aired exclusively on Disney+ in 2023, and was based on the 2008 Marvel Comics arc of the same name.

Secret Invasion followed Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) as they uncover a conspiracy by a group of shapeshifting Skrulls to conquer Earth. Clarke’s character, G’iah, was the daughter of Mendelsohn’s Talos, an incredibly powerful Super-Skrull who later empowered herself with the Harvest. The Harvest was a collection of DNA samples from the superpowered individuals who fought in the Battle of Earth.

The show was the seventh most-watched streaming original television series of 2023. Many expectations were placed on the series, especially since it would be Jackson’s Nick Fury’s first outing as the main star of an MCU property. However, Secret Invasion received mixed reviews from critics, earning itself an approval rating of 52% on Rotten Tomatoes. One major criticism of the show is how underutilized the impressive cast was, especially Clarke — although, many fans shared on social media their vindication over Clarke’s G’iah becoming the most powerful character in the entire MCU.

What Else Emilia Clarke Has Been In Since Game Of Thrones Ended

Clarke Hasn’t Been In Much Since Game Of Thrones

Unfortunately, the disappointing outcome of Secret Invasion failed to reinstate Clarke as television royalty. The series was her first lead role in a television show since the finale of Game of Thrones in 2019. Like many other Game of Thrones alums, Clarke was instantly shot to stardom thanks to her performance as Daenerys Targaryen, the last surviving member of House Targaryen. That said, Clarke has been mostly absent from both the public eye and the screen following the conclusion of Game of Thrones.

However, aside from Secret Invasion, she has still appeared in a number of television and film roles, such as in the romantic comedy Last Christmas opposite Henry Golding. She provided the voice of Malicia in the 2022 animated film The Amazing Maurice, and she also starred in and executive produced the science-fiction romantic comedy The Pod Generation in 2023. Hopefully, Emilia Clarke’s starring roles in Criminal and Ponies will be able to put her back on the map in a post-Game of Thrones world.