After dismal 'The Eternals', Richard Madden really needs 'Citadel' to work
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: ‘Game of Thrones’ is one of those shows that made a lot of successful careers. It became a worldwide phenomenon when it aired and its actor became a household name. Whether it was Peter Dinklage or Emilia Clark, each actor started getting work in several high-end ventures. One actor who went on to make a bigger impact in the world of television after ‘GOT’ is Richard Madden. Yes, the actor who played the role of Robb Stark in the HBO series.
Now, we all know how brutal his death was in the series, and even today, whenever we watch or talk about that entire scene, we get chills all over. Madden appeared in Season 1 as Robb Stark and went on to play the character for two more seasons before he was brutally killed by his enemies. As soon as his stint ended on the HBO series, experts started to say that Madden will have a great acting career and his career might be one of the most successful ones post-‘GOT’. The experts were right because Madden began getting prominent roles on TV and in movies as well. However, he had to wait for another five years to get a role that would put him in the league of promising young stars. The BBC series ‘Bodyguard’ would once again prove how versatile Madden really was and earned him a lot of awards as well. Still, something was missing and he was still waiting for that one role that would make him a worldwide phenomenon once again.
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Finally, after waiting for more than three years, his time had come and he was cast in perhaps the biggest role of his professional career. The actor was chosen to play the role of Ikaris in the superhero movie ‘Eternals’. The movie, which was a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, was based on the Marvel Comics race of the same name. Everyone had a lot of expectations from it and there were a number of reasons for that. First, the movie was directed by Academy Award-winning director Chloe Zhao. Second, the film had a stellar star cast that included Madden, Angelina Jolie, Gemma Chan, Kit Harrington, Kumail Nanjiani, and more. Third, it was touted as one of the passion projects of the Marvel boss Kevin Feige. There was a lot of buzz around it and Madden was in the middle of it because he and Chan were considered to be the lead actors of the movie and the story mainly revolved around these two characters.
However, the movies opened to dismal reviews and Madden was criticized for his acting in the movie. A lot of people believed that he was wooden and stiff in most of his sequences. MCU fans felt that the movie was too far removed from the franchise’s actual formula. On the other hand, fans believed that the makers didn’t know what they were doing while making such a movie. Such reactions dented Madden’s acting career as well. He still has a long way to go and his upcoming series ‘Citadel’ might make him the talk of the town again. ‘Citadel’ is an upcoming series that sees Madden playing a spy named Mason Kane who will be fighting to save the world from a diabolical organization.
It could be a perfect role for Madden because he played a similar kind of role in the 2018 series ‘Bodyguard’ as well. Although he didn’t play a spy in the series, he was seen playing a man who didn’t think twice to put his life in danger in order to save people. Also, he is ready to do anything to prove his innocence as well. Madden did exceptionally well in the action sequences in ‘Bodyguard’ and made viewers realize that he was made for such roles.
So, ‘Citadel’ might turn out to be something bigger than just a regular TV series for Madden. He desperately needs the show to work or else his stocks would go down and people might not even talk about it for quite a while.
The upcoming Amazon series is the perfect opportunity to redeem himself and we hope that the series does wonders for him because he is a fantastic actor and deserves so much more than he has already got.
'Citadel' will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on March 28, 2023.