Lyra and Will Parry (Amir Wilson), first separately in their different worlds, then after they meet, as they both have a role to play in a brewing religious conflict. The show also stars Ruth Wilson as Mrs. Coulter, James McAvoy as Lord Asriel, Ruta Gedmintas as Serafina Pekkala, and Lin-Manuel Miranda as Lee Scoresby.

While His Dark Materials delves into some big ideas about how religion is used to wield power, it is also a story about a first love against the backdrop of stringent ideas of relationships. Thus, the relationship between Lyra and Will is central to the narrative, right up until His Dark Materials' melancholy ending. Dafne Keen had experience in the sci-fi-fantasy genre going into this world where people's souls walk beside them as animal companions, but it was actually the casting of her main co-star that really made her the perfect choice.

Lyra & Will's First Scene Together Is When The Casting Became Spectacular

Keen & Wilson Are Great Apart; They Are Better Together

Dafne Keen was not the most unpredictable choice for Lyra. At the time, she had recently garnered attention for playing Laura in Logan. With undeniable talent, she was one of the most well-known actors within the role's age range and matched the rough description of Lyra's appearance in the books. While she is separate from Will in His Dark Materials season 1, Lyra still has a lot of intense scenes as she fights her mother and demands answers from the other adults around her. Keen, undeniably, delivered Lyra's contrasting fear and bravery and her strange wisdom.

While Keen and Amir Wilson give great performances on their own, from their first scene together, it is clear that a huge advantage of casting both of them was their chemistry.

However, the story and the casting took on another dimension as soon as Lyra and Will came together. Will is also carrying out his own storyline in season 1, a change made from the books that don't introduce him until the second installment, which helps to make him more of a co-protagonist to Lyra. And while Keen and Amir Wilson give great performances on their own, from their first scene together, it is clear that a huge advantage of casting both of them was their chemistry.

Lyra and Will meet by chance in an unfamiliar world at the beginning of His Dark Materials season 2, and Lyra smartly acts with some defensiveness, while Will is surprised by her but intuitive. Besides what they will become to each other, it is an important scene because Lyra is meeting someone who doesn't have a visible daemon but is still "whole," while Will is unfamiliar with the concept. From there, they fall into an organic, believable dynamic of working together out of convenience but slowly coming to trust one another more than anyone.

Dafne Keen & Amir Wilson's Chemistry Is The Best Part Of His Dark Materials

They Could Not Have Found A Better Lyra & Will When The Story Is All About Them

From there on out, the rapport between the two young lead actors is the best part of His Dark Materials. In addition to the changes in how Will's story is brought into the narrative earlier, the performances of this relationship make that the main character of the show rather than it just being Lyra, as it has come across in the past. Keen and Wilson work together amazingly, showing the stages of the relationship as they are still wary of one another and come to rely upon each other by circumstance, before evolving into the romance.

Some moments highlight their fierce dedication to one another, but also more casual scenes that are almost just two friends hanging out. They go see a movie for the day to avoid being out in the open, and Lyra talks about the adults she actually looks up to rather than her cruel parents. His Dark Materials ends as the source material does, which emphasizes the joy of falling in love for the first time and the tragedy of them being separated, made possible on screen by the perfect casting of the individuals and the pair.