Netflix’s The Witcher has found its Vesemir in Danish actor Kim Bodnia. The Twitter account for Netflix UK & Ireland broke the news earlier today.
Breaking news from the Continent: Kim Bodnia (Killing Eve, The Bridge) has been cast as Vesemir in the second season of The Witcher! pic.twitter.com/wTxnj40AQw
— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) February 28, 2020
Bodnia’s best-known role is Konstantin on BBC America’s Killing Eve. Though he also starred in the 2011 Scandanavian crime thriller series The Bridge, which received an American remake in 2013 on FX.
Last year, fans of The Witcher rallied behind casting Mark Hamill in the role. This obviously means that can’t happen now. But so far, the series has been pretty great with its casting. In a statement, showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich had this to say:
I am so thrilled to welcome Kim Bodnia to the cast of The Witcher. 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.”
In Season One, Vesemir was only eluded to. But he plays a crucial role in the overall story. He acts as a mentor and father figure to Geralt. He’s also the oldest and wisest Witcher on the Continent. His inclusion in the show’s second season should serve to flesh out Geralt’s backstory as well as give insight to the massacre of most Witchers at Kaer Morhen. Also, Bodnia joining isn’t the only bit of casting news we’ve had lately. Earlier this month, seven new actors signed on, including Game of Thrones alum Kristofer Hivju.
The Witcher has now become an incredible empire across various media. The show is based on the beloved book series by Andrzej Sapkowski. CD Projekt Red adapted them into a series of RPGs. But the TV series, which is now one of Netflix’s most popular shows, has impacted what came before it astronomically. Publisher Orbit Books had to reprint 500,000 books to keep up with fan demand. Not only that, but the third game in the series broke its player record on Steam last December, five years after its release.
Season Two of The Witcher will premiere on Netflix in 2021.