"Doesn't really connect with anyone": Game of Thrones' Pilou Asbæk shares key details about his Foundation Season 3 role; says it's "very important"

Foundation Season 3 is moving into darker, more unpredictable territory, and the arrival of a new villain is at the center of it all. Pilou Asbæk, known to many for his role as the wild and chaotic Euron Greyjoy in Game of Thrones, now takes on the role of the Mule, a character that he says is "very important."

Elaborating on his character in a Screen Rant interview, Asbæk said:

"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."

So, what exactly does Asbæk bring to Foundation Season 3?

Let's dive into the twisted mind of the villain in Season 3:

Pilou Asbæk reveals how the Mule was shaped in Foundation Season 3 and why he’s nothing like past villains

When Asbæk joined Foundation Season 3, he wasn't just handed a standard villain role. Instead, he was encouraged to build something entirely layered.

Speaking to Screen Rant, he said;

"It was very important that we created a character."

His very first scene was designed to show just how differently the Mule operates, with Asbæk insisting the choice to show him eating was a symbolic one. The idea was to create someone who's present in the moment but disconnected from the world around him.

What makes the Mule so unsettling isn't just his powers. Asbæk explained that he drew inspiration from The Little Prince, creating a character with a childlike worldview. He wanted the Mule in Foundation Season 3 to feel like someone who never really matured emotionally, someone with no real boundaries or social understanding.

Asbæk highlighted how the Mule doesn't respond to emotional cues like most people would. That emotional detachment? It's what makes him dangerous.

Whether someone approaches him with a plea or a threat, his response can be wildly unpredictable, and he might welcome them with a kiss or destroy them without a thought.

The story behind Asbæk’s casting and the importance of stepping into an already powerful role

While Asbæk fits the Mule like a glove, he wasn't the first actor to play the character. In Foundation Season 2, the role was portrayed by Mikael Persbrandt. But due to changes in production, the character needed to be recast for Foundation Season 3.

Asbæk shared how series creator David S. Goyer approached him directly, referencing his powerful but brief performance in Game of Thrones. Goyer told him:

"I saw your work in Game of Thrones, and you had so little screen time, and you had such a big impact."

He added that Mule would be:

"...Much more nuanced—so much more layered."

Asbæk agreed to bring that energy to Foundation Season 3, but added a twist: instead of playing the Mule as pure evil, he leaned into the character's distorted view of the world.

To the Mule, creating a better world - one without the Foundation or the Empire is a goal worth fighting for, even if it means destruction. This new villain, introduced 152 years after Season 2's events, makes his presence felt immediately.

From turning soldiers against one another to bringing entire planets to their knees, The Mule is not hiding in the shadows. He's taking control.

With Foundation Season 3, the tone shifts as the series welcomes a villain who challenges not just power, but humanity itself. Pilou Asbæk's Mule isn't your typical bad guy. He's emotionally distant, unpredictably cruel, and built from a place of loneliness and misunderstanding.

Asbæk's performance promises to be both eerie and unforgettable, exactly what a story like Foundation needs at this point in its arc. As season 3 unfolds, all eyes will be on how this character's chaos reshapes the galaxy. And by the looks of it, nothing and no one will be left untouched.

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