How to Train Your Dragon 2 Expands Villainous Lineup With Exciting New Cast Addition

In the world of movie news, here comes an update that’s honestly a little surprising but not totally out of left field: Universal is already busy at work on their live-action follow-up to How to Train Your Dragon, and they’ve apparently decided it’s time for a swap when it comes to the main baddie. That’s right — the villain Drago Bludvist is getting a new face (and voice) for his next big-screen appearance.

New Villain, Who Dis?

For anyone who actually remembers the animated sequel, Drago Bludvist is the guy who rolls up with an army of dragon hunters, convinced that the only way forward is to control dragons instead of, you know, not being a power-mad megalomaniac. In the animated version, he was voiced (with true intensity) by Djimon Hounsou. But apparently, Universal thinks it’s time for a live-action shakeup.

Now, stepping into Drago’s heavily armored boots is Ólafur Darri Ólafsson. If that name is familiar, it's probably because you’ve spotted him on Severance or in the tongue-twister that is Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue. He’s got serious screen presence and, honestly, is a pretty interesting choice for a fantasy villain — definitely not Djimon Hounsou 2.0, which could be a good thing or a head-scratcher, depending on your feelings about recasting iconic antagonists.

What’s Actually Going On in This Sequel?

Besides the villain swap, most of the core cast from that live-action remake (the one you either loved, hated, or shrugged at in theaters last year) is coming back for round two. That includes Mason Thames as Hiccup, Nico Parker, Gerard Butler, Julian Dennison, and Cate Blanchett — who is back as Valka, Hiccup’s long-lost mom. Blanchett apparently can’t resist a power-mom role, whether it’s animated, live-action, or somewhere in between.

The sequel’s plot basically picks up where the last live-action left off: dragons and humans are at an uneasy peace, but that’s threatened once Drago shows up on the scene, still determined to take over the world, one fire-breathing monster at a time. As if that’s not enough, there’s also the whole mother-son reunion drama with Valka — which was actually one of the better storylines in the original animated sequel.

Cast at a Glance

• Mason Thames: Hiccup
• Nico Parker
• Gerard Butler
• Julian Dennison
• Cate Blanchett: Valka (returning from the animated voice cast)
• Ólafur Darri Ólafsson: Drago Bludvist (now in the villain slot)

Inside the Numbers (Because Yes, People Watched)

Is Universal just cashing in? Maybe — but you can’t really blame them. The first live-action How to Train Your Dragon (released in 2025) pulled in a genuinely impressive $636.4 million worldwide, so it’s not shocking they’re moving quickly on the sequel and making sure the cast is loaded.

The Bottom Line

It’s always a little weird — or maybe ‘interesting’ is the nice way to put it — when a fan-favorite character is recast, especially when the original voice is as memorable as Hounsou’s Drago. But that’s Hollywood for you: always moving, sometimes in surprisingly bold directions.

As for what to expect? Ólafsson’s take on the villain could give the live-action Drago a totally different vibe, for better or worse. But with so many returning cast members and the franchise’s solid track record, Universal clearly isn’t playing it safe.

Not official word from the studio yet, but as the production ramps up, I’d expect more updates to come rolling in faster than you can say 'Toothless.' Stay tuned.