Benjamin Evan Ainsworth says stepping into Link’s boots for the upcoming Legend of Zelda movie is both thrilling and unsettling. The 17-year-old actor said the role is “really exciting,” but also “super exciting” and “almost daunting,” his first public reaction to taking on one of gaming’s best-known heroes.
That matters now because Ainsworth is the name fans are searching as the live-action project moves from casting news to its next stage. He said it is “such an honour to play such an iconic character and be part of two amazing worlds, which I am in awe of, really,” adding that he cannot speak too much about the film but that filming was “a lovely experience” and everyone involved was “just lovely.”
The reaction lands because Link is not just another role. In the Legend of Zelda movie, he is the sword-wielding hero at the center of a franchise with a fiercely protective fan base, and Ainsworth’s comments are the clearest sign yet of how he is handling the pressure that comes with it. He did not sound overconfident. He sounded grateful, but aware of the scale of what he has taken on.
That mix of excitement and nerves is familiar for Ainsworth. Before this latest project, he starred in The Haunting of Bly Manor, lent his voice to Pinocchio in the recent live-action remake of the classic film, and played Daeron Targaryen in season three of House of the Dragon. He has said that getting the Daeron role felt surreal and exciting, but also “a little bit scary,” which makes his latest comments feel less like a polished line than an honest pattern.
He has also spoken warmly about the people around him on House of the Dragon, saying he met Ryan during the audition process and did a read with Freddie Fox and Fabian Frankel, and that the table read showed everyone on set was warm and welcoming. He called James Norton a tremendous actor and an awesome performer to work with. The through line is clear: Ainsworth keeps landing into big worlds, and he keeps sounding slightly amazed to be there.
What remains unanswered is the practical one. No release date or filming start has been set out in the details he gave, so the next real marker for the project is when production moves from words to cameras. For now, Ainsworth’s first comments do the job the casting news itself could not: they show that the actor chosen to play Link is excited, but fully aware the role comes with weight.
