As production for The Witcher season two storms ahead, the hit Netflix series has finally cast the fan-anticipated role of Vesemir. Keeping with the show’s penchant for hiring international actors, showrunners have landed on Killing Eve‘s Kim Bodnia, according to Deadline:
“I am so thrilled to welcome Kim Bodnia to the cast of The Witcher,” EP and showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich said. “I have admired his unique talents in shows like Killing Eve and The Bridge, and cannot wait for him to bring strength, tenacity, and warmth to the character of Vesemir, who is such an integral part of our upcoming season.”
While Bodnia plays a mentor role as the slippery opportunist Konstantin on Killing Eve, Vesemir is a bit more virtuous and is credited with turning Henry Cavill’s Geralt into the formidable Witcher that viewers see on the show. The elder monster hunter is also a favorite with fans of the hugely popular video game The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt, which saw a massive spike in sales following the Netflix series debut. Vesemir’s struggle to preserve the Witcher profession will most likely be spotlighted in season two. Via io9:
He’s a survivor of the Massacre at Kaer Morhen — an event in the books’ past that saw the Witcher school besieged and killed all but a handful of the Witchers training there — who’s extremely protective of the remaining Witchers, seeking to shield them at all costs. He also develops a strong kinship with Ciri (Freya Allan) because of the close bond she shares with Geralt.
Like all things on the internet, Bodnia’s casting might come as a disappointment to some The Witcher fans. Even before the show aired, there was a concerted effort to see Mark Hamill land the role of Geralt’s mentor. He had recently played a grizzled Luke Skywalker who has to train Rey in the ways of the Force in The Last Jedi, so what better experience for Vesemir? Adding to the fan fervor, Hamill was into the casting suggestion. The Star Wars actor even retweeted his interest in the part following The Witcher season one premiere.
I still have no idea what this is or what it's about, but I DO know they haven't ever asked me to play Vesemir… yet.#CallMyAgent https://t.co/8gZpuwfsMi
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) December 25, 2019
While Netflix went a different route, fans of The Witcher should check out Bodnia’s work on Killing Eve, and they should see that role of the Vesemir is in good hands.
