Casting features Peter Claffey as the tall, white Ser Duncan the Tall, perfectly matching the source material's description, and Dexter Sol Ansell as the bald-headed Egg (Aegon Targaryen), with no race-swapping or controversy around the leads. Supporting roles include Shaun Thomas, a black actor, as Ser Raymun Fossoway, a minor Reach knight whose house has no strict racial description in the books, representing incidental diversity that blends into the Westerosi setting without narrative emphasis. Reviews universally praise the show's return to Martin's grounded storytelling, character-driven plots, and avoidance of excessive gore, nudity, or heavy politics, with GRRM personally approving changes like added humor and dancing scenes.

No explicit social justice themes, identity politics lectures, or DEI mandates are evident; any diversity feels organic to HBO's modern production style rather than forced or plot-driving. Audience reception is highly positive post-premiere, with no significant backlash labeling it 'woke'—pre-release fears of race-swapping dissipated, and X sentiment shows isolated prayers to avoid wokeness but no widespread outrage. One canonically queer minor character from the books may appear later, but it does not dominate. The show prioritizes entertainment and lore fidelity over activism.