The Witcher Season 4 will be a different experience from past seasons. Not only will the Netflix show have a new actor in the lead, but it will also recast another of its major characters.
Netflix’s The Witcher series is an adaptation of Andrej Sapkowski’s novels, which also served as the foundation for CD Projekt Red’s popular The Witcher video games. The story is set in a fictional fantasy land known as the Continent, where beasts and supernatural beings all collide. The main character is Geralt of Rivia, a witcher, aka supernatural beast hunter, who sets out to find a young girl named Ciri, who is tied to his destiny. The Witcher on Netflix has received mixed reviews over its three seasons, but its casting has rarely been a point of criticism.
The Witcher Season 4 Loses Another Familiar Face
For three seasons Henry Cavill portrayed Geralt in The Witcher, before it was announced Liam Hemsworth would be taking over the role for Season 4. Months later it was revealed that Cavill was not the only cast member departing, with Kim Bodnia also parting ways with the show due to scheduling conflicts. The actor portrayed Geralt’s wise older mentor and witcher, Vesemir, who acted as something of a father figure to the remaining witchers at Kaer Morhen. Vesemir was not included in Season 3 of The Witcher, which took the action away from the home base of Kaer Morhen. But the character is reportedly included in the upcoming season, according to Redanian Intelligence.
With Bodnia out of the picture and Vesemir set to return in Season 4 of The Witcher, that leaves big shoes for a new actor to now fill. However, it could also serve as an exciting casting announcement and there are a few actors who would be ideal fits for the role.
Which Actor Should Replace Kim Bodnia as Vesemir?
Mark Hamill
Star Wars star Mark Hamill was a popular choice to play Vesemir prior to Bodnia’s casting. The actor even expressed interest in playing The Witcher character over the years. Following his work on Star Wars, Hamill has become a prominent voice actor. However, he returned to play Luke Skywalker as a wise mentor type in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and can easily be pictured with Vesemir’s white hair and medieval garb. The actor also has plenty of sword training from his Star Wars days that he can draw upon. With Bodnia stepping out of the role, perhaps now is the time for The Witcher to bring in its top fan-cast.
Liam Cunningham
Liam Cunningham is best known for playing the lovable Onion Knight, Davos Seaworth, in Game of Thrones. Seaworth was a confidante, an advisor, and an all-around wise man, similar to Vesemir’s role in The Witcher. Cunningham also recently appeared in 3 Body Problem, where he played the scheming Thomas Wade, who is shown to be strong and strategic in his leadership of Earth’s planetary defenses. It’s easy to picture Cunningham picking up Vesemir’s sword in Season 4 of The Witcher, and it might even be a role that allows the actor to stretch his experience in action sequences.
Gary Oldman
Gary Oldman has played many mentor characters throughout his illustrious career. He starred as Sirius Black in the Harry Potter films and as Commissioner Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy, both of whom served as loyal confidantes to the main character, but were also characters who held their own in the action as well. Vesemir is a similar character to these, and Oldman has the profile and acting prowess to excel at it. His recent role in Slow Horses is only a reminder that the actor is getting better with age and it would be great to see him in the fantasy space once again.
Liam Neeson
Liam Neeson is a bit of a wild card choice, but the actor has played both wise mentors and overprotective fathers, both of which are qualities that Vesemir shares. The actor has always been adept at blending warmth and seriousness in his characters and his unique intonement would be excellent for some of The Witcher’s more lore-heavy explainer scenes. Neeson is also well-experienced in blockbusters and with action sequences which would be useful for a role on The Witcher. It’s been a while since Neeson was seen in a fantasy setting and his casting would undeniably add star power to the cast of The Witcher.
With filming on Season 4 of The Witcher reportedly wrapping up, the actor who has replaced Vesemir will likely have already filmed their scenes, which means a casting reveal could come any time.
