Sophie Turner has traded silks and politics for muscle and movement. The Game of Thrones star is officially stepping into the role of Lara Croft, and the first image from Prime Video’s upcoming Tomb Raider series confirms it: this is a full physical transformation, not a costume job.
Prime Video released the first-look photo on Thursday, showing Turner carved, focused, and unmistakably Croft. The reaction online was immediate and loud. Fans on X and Instagram praised the look for staying true to the classic Tomb Raider games—lean, athletic, and unapologetically strong. No reinvention gimmicks, no overthinking. Just Lara Croft as she’s meant to be.
Turner’s transformation didn’t come cheap. Speaking recently on SiriusXM’s The Julia Cunningham Show, the actress revealed the scale of the work behind the image. Since February 2024, she’s been training eight hours a day, five days a week. Not a montage. Real time. Real grind.
“It’s been a lot,” Turner admitted, noting that she hadn’t seriously trained before taking on the role. Building muscle from scratch took months, and the process came with a few discoveries—namely a persistent back problem and a new respect for what her body could handle once pushed consistently.
Despite her long run on Game of Thrones, Turner said the HBO series offered little preparation for Lara Croft’s physical demands. As Sansa Stark, she wasn’t throwing punches—she was surviving them. Tomb Raider flips that script. This time, Turner is doing the hitting, learning the mechanics of combat and movement that define Croft as one of gaming’s most iconic action heroines.
Prime Video’s Tomb Raider series is still in production, with a release date yet to be confirmed. But if the first image is any indication, Sophie Turner’s Lara Croft won’t need much selling. The work is already visible. The message is clear. This isn’t nostalgia cosplay—it’s a reset built on discipline, muscle, and intent.
Last modified: January 16, 2026
