Foundationseason 3 is set to continue the Apple TV+ adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s beloved novel series. The ambitious series was created by David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight) and Josh Friedman (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes) and features a cast that includesMad Men’s Jared Harris, Lee Pace (Guardians of the Galaxy), and Lou Llobell (Voyagers). Those cast members return in season 3 despite the fact that the new season takes place 152 years after the last.
The biggest change inFoundationseason 3, however, is the arrival of The Mule. Long before theFoundationseason 3 trailerdropped, fans of Asimov’s novels have been waiting to see the psychic antagonist appear on screen, given the immense threat he poses to the galaxy. Thanks to Danish actor Pilou Asbæk, who previously appeared for a short but memorable stint onHBO’sGame of Thrones, the character has landed–and with all the menace and terror one might expect.
ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan interviewed Pilou Asbæk about bringingFoundation’s most anticipated villain to the screen. Asbæk revealed the surprising inspiration behind his take on The Mule, which hints at why the character is so terrifying.Foundationseason 3–100% fresh onRotten Tomatoes, as of this writing–premieres July 11 on Apple TV+.
How Pilou Asbæk Landed The Mule
Asbæk Took Over For Mikael Persbrandt
As much as Pilou Asbæk immediately appeared to fit the role of The Mule, he wasn’t the first actor to play the character.“David Goyer called me and said, ‘All right, I have this character called The Mule. Mikael Persbrandt did [it] in season 2, but [because] of production things, we can’t do the third season with him. Would you mind stepping in his shoes?’”
“I was like, ‘Sure. Those are big shoes to fill.’”
Goyer revealed to Asbæk that it was the actor’s turn inGame of Thronesthat put him in the creator’s mind. Asbæk relayed Goyer’s words:“‘The reason why I’m calling is [that] I saw your work in Game of Thrones, and you had so little screen time, and you [had] such a big impact. This is completely different. Euron [Greyjoy] is a pirate, he’s rogue, he’s brute, impolite… The Mule [is] much more nuanced–so much more layered.’’
Still, there were aspects of Asbæk’sGame of Thronesthat Goyer wanted. Although the showrunner wanted The Mule to“brood”and said“‘We need to make him much more dimensional,’’the showrunner did say“‘I need that madness. I need that energy. I need that anger. I need that hatred.’”
Pilou Asbæk Reveals A Surprising Inspiration Behind The Mule
His Performance Is Thanks To… A Children’s Book?
Pilou Asbæk took Goyer’s words to heart, but had one addition for The Mule’s personality:“I was like, ‘Okay, but what if we combine all of that with The Little Prince? A guy who is also living in a world that he wants to understand and wants the best of, but the humans in it don’t deserve to live because they’re being evil. So he sees his job to create a new world without the Foundation and without the Empire because the world that he can create is a better world–with him on top, of course; A dictatorship.”
In Asbæk’s mind, the choice to draw inspiration from the children’s bookThe Little Princewas in part because a childlike outlook on the world would make The Mule all the more threatening.“I wanted to create a guy who doesn’t really understand the world he’s part of,”he said,“because he has never really experienced true connection with anyone.”
“As human [beings],”the actor added,“we behave in a certain way and we mirror each other’s emotions … The Mule doesn’t have that, because he has never experienced it. So, I wanted to create this childish character who never really grew up and [had] no boundaries. There were no limits. It was just him against the world.”
Discussing the character’s first scene, the actor said“That’s the reason why he’s so isolated in the first scene. 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.”
