Why Did ‘Foundation’ Recast ‘Game of Thrones’ Baddie Pilou Asbæk as The Mule?

Apple TV+‘s Foundation Season 3 opens with the rather flashy introduction to a brand new villain named The Mule (Pilou Asbæk). Sure, we technically met The Mule via Gaal Dornick’s (Lou Llobell) visions in Season 2, but this time, the antagonist is harassing people in the here and now and not prophetic nightmares. Something else that’s new about The Mule? The actor playing him.

For some reason, Apple TV+ decided to get rid of the original actor playing The Mule, critically-acclaimed Scandinavian actor Mikael Persbrandt, and they replaced him with Game of Thrones baddie Pilou Asbæk.

Why the Foundation casting shake up? And did series star Lou Llobell secretly hate having to reshoot Gaal’s horrific visions of The Mule choking her? Here’s everything you need to know about the new actor playing The Mule on Foundation Season 3…

**Spoilers for Foundation Season 3 Episode 1 “A Song for the End of Everything,” now streaming on Apple TV+**

Foundation Season 2 ended by jumping 152 years into the future, to show The Mule becoming terrifyingly aware of a woman with seismic psychic ability named Gaal Dornick. The new season of the Apple TV+ hit picks up shortly thereafter. The Mule, now heralded by the unique sonic stylings of Magnifico Giganticus (Tómas Lemarquis), appears on the pleasure planet of Kalgan. There, he uses his powers of compulsion to turn the planet’s own soldiers against each other, quickly defeating Archduke Bellarion (Ralph Ineson). All in all, it’s a wild display of terrifying force, designed to make us fear The Mule as much as Gaal Dornick does.

This version of The Mule is also somewhat more articulate than the last. Instead of skulking in shadows and leading with violence, Pilou Asbæk’s version of the character has some of the Swedish actor’s trademark swarmy charm. Which might lead you to wonder: was there something wrong with Mikael Persbrandt’s version of the character? Did Apple TV+ fire the original Mule actor? Why did Foundation recast The Mule?

Why Did Foundation Replace Mikael Persbrandt With Pilou Asbæk as The Mule?

So why is a new actor playing The Mule in Foundation Season 3? Apple TV+ never gave an official reason why the part was recast, but Pilou Asbæk offered a tantalizing crumb in a recent interview.

In an interview with Jonatan Blomberg, Asbæk said he was not only a huge fan of Persbrandt’s work, but revealed that he was “thankful he passed on the torch to me.”

“I get to walk in his incredible footsteps,” Asbæk said, suggesting that Persbrandt’s exist might have been the actor’s choice, or even one agreed upon by both the actor and production.

There is also the reality that The Mule has a much, much bigger part in Foundation Season 3. While Mikael Persbrandt is an international star, most American audiences will be more familiar with Pilou Asbæk thanks to his turn as Euron Greyjoy on Game of Thrones.

In fact, when DECIDER asked Foundation star Lou Llobell if it was a pain having to reshoot Gaal’s nightmares of The Mule all over again, she revealed she actually went into “fangirl” mode opposite Asbæk.

“No, you know what? Not at all. I mean, it was all part of it and it was great because I think it also established that relationship between me and Pilou,” Llobell said. “Because it’s one of the few scenes that we actually get to work together because most of the season is us not working together.”

“He’s just amazing,” she continued. “I’ve been a fan of his for the longest time. So when I found out that I was going to get to work with him, I was buzzing and trying not to fangirl too much.”

While The Mule might be the epitome of terror in Foundation Season 3, the guy who plays him is a much different story.

“He’s just so fun and so good and so generous,” Llobel gushed. “Also he does the whole charismatic villain role so well.”

“Yeah, no, he’s wonderful and it was a great experience.”

Foundation Season 3 Episode 1 “A Song for the End of Everything” is now streaming on Apple TV+.