Secret Invasion actress Emilia Clarke revealed why working in the MCU is better than Game of Thrones.

Emilia Clarke has a long history with pop culture franchises over the last decade, with roles in Game of Thrones (Daenerys Targaryen), Terminator (Genisys‘ Sarah Connor), and Star Wars (Solo‘s Qi’ra).

The pop culture veteran is now finally making her MCU debut in the latest Disney+ series, Secret Invasion, in which she plays the grown-up Skrull daughter of Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos, G’iah – who appeared as a child in Captain Marvel.

Why Marvel Trumps Game of Thrones for Emilia Clarke

Speaking with Yahoo’s Kevin Polowy during the press tour for Secret Invasion, Emilia Clarke explained why the MCU is the best franchise she has joined yet.

The pop culture star called the MCU “a pedigree in its own right,” explaining that it sits on a level “separate from everything else:”

“Oh my god, it’s just the best… It’s such a pedigree in its own right, it lives in its own level that is separate from everything else. It isn’t just a superhero franchise, it’s Marvel, like it’s totally different.”

The actress noted the “ease and calm” that comes with knowing Marvel are “the best” at what they do, going on to praise the franchise’s cast:

“There’s an ease and calm that I think comes with them being the best and maybe understanding that they’re the best, and having all the stuff. And then having this cast is just completely mindblowing.”

Comparing the experience to Game of Thrones, Clarke explained the “unique experience” of watching the show grow throughout, while the MCU has allowed her to step into something where “everyone is already doing their A-game:”

“Game of Thrones was such a unique experience for me because we didn’t know what the hell we were doing most of the time. And then it just became this big thing and we just rode that journey all the way. This, you’re stepping in and everyone is already doing their A-game.”

This isn’t the first time Clarke has opened up on her experience working with Marvel Studios, praising them as “absolutely brilliant:”

“I’m genuinely having a wicked time on Marvel, though, they’re absolutely brilliant.”

The actress even divulged how willing she would be to stick around in the MCU in the long term, noting how everyone has “only the highest praise to offer:”

“Everyone I know and everyone I’ve spoken to who is a part of the Marvel universe — and actors talk! Everyone has only the highest praise to offer.”

Emilia Clarke Takes Pop Culture by Storm

Between Marvel, Star Wars, and Game of Thrones, Emilia Clarke has made her way into some of the biggest staples in modern pop culture. Perhaps the only notable absence on her resume comes with the DC Universe, but maybe she will find her way into James Gunn’s new reboot down the line.

But that currently seems unlikely as Clarke has been open about her desire to continue on in the MCU after Secret Invasion. However, with the spy thriller having currently only released one episode so far, it’s too soon to tell where G’iah will end up by the time the six-episode Disney+ run concludes.

While Clarke’s G’iah may be an essential player in the Skrull tale of Secret Invasion, it’s tough to see where she could go beyond this in the MCU. 

Some have theorized G’iah may become the MCU’s version of the legendary Marvel spy Abigail Brand by the time the show ends. After all, Disney did once list Clarke as playing Brand in Secret Invasion, perhaps secretly spoiling a major twist to come in future episodes.

The first episode of Secret Invasion is streaming now on Disney+, with new episodes releasing every Wednesday.