With season two of Netflix’s The Witcher having been confirmed before the first season even aired, there was already speculation as to what would be in the second season. After the events of season one, one question that came up concerned the casting of Vesemir in the upcoming season. Note: This article contains spoilers for season one of Netflix’s The Witcher.
During one moment in the final episode of The Witcher, Geralt hallucinates and hears a voice call out to him saying, “I’ve been waiting for you.” He responds by calling out to Vesemir, his mentor and old friend. Likely a tease for Vesemir’s appearance in the second season, this has caused another wave of speculation as to who could and should play the old witcher.
Compared to The Witcher video game series, Henry Cavill’s portrayal of Geralt is spot-on, with a hint of the United Kingdom in his accent. Finding a similar actor to portray Vesemir in a similar manner is tough, as Vesemir’s character in the game was a wise and nimble old man who knew how to fight like a witcher and talk like a scholar. This leads one to imagine who could play him in the upcoming second season. Of course, some actors are simply impossible to be cast into this project due to their cost but with the likes of Mark Hamill teasing at throwing his hat in the ring, it appears anything is possible.
Mark Hamill
Mark Hamill’s acting abilities are more than enough to play Vesemir, with fans even making art of Hamill as Vesemir. He is capable of being a fatherly mentor who is patient in his teaching ability but swift in his discipline. Playing a Jedi for decades, Hamill is already familiar with incorporating swords (or lightsabers) into his acting. Vesemir may look too gray to fight but can still use a sword as effectively as Geralt making him a great character for Hamill to play. Also at 68 years old, Hamill is almost old enough to portray Vesemir with little else but make-up and armor.
Right before Christmas, Hamill tweeted his interest for the old witcher in a response he posted on Twitter. Though he said he was unfamiliar with The Witcher, Hamill was more than willing to embrace a fan’s nerdy post. This fan tweeted in response to The Witcher showrunner Lauren Hissrich’s tweet about Vesemir’s characteristics, and Mark Hamill just jumped on board when he saw it. He then responded again, this time as a reply to a tweet theorizing Hamill’s casting, saying that he is still interested in taking up the old witcher’s mantle.
Gary Oldman
Gary Oldman is another great fit for Vesemir. At 61, the British actor might not be as old as an actor that could relate to Vesemir more, but his acting range and looks could both very much aid in his depiction of Geralt’s mentor. He has also proven that he has a competent vocal range and can change the pitch and tone of his voice significantly to match a given character.
The only major difference between Gary Oldman’s general appearance and Vesemir’s lies in Oldman’s physique. Vesemir, in the games, has a bulky build and is not as obviously in shape as Geralt always appears to be. However, this could be simply enough in the acting world, or if the costume department on the show just strapped him up with armor.
Forest Whitaker
At 58, Forest Whitaker might certainly be too young to play Vesemir but again, age is not a significant issue when make-up and costumes are as good as they are in The Witcher. Otherwise, all Whitaker needs is the mustache and long hair that Vesemir is constantly sporting. He also happens to be incredibly intense when in a role, yet is able to deliver the occassional joke befitting of Vesemir. As such, he would be a good actor to take on the role.
Jack Nicholson
Putting aside Jack Nicholson’s skills at playing crazy and energetically aggressive characters such as Joker in Batman, Nicholson is also capable of being aggressively intimidating through somewhat normal dialogue.
He is also 82 years old, an age that could work well for Vesemir but also an age at which Nicholson would probably have to rely on stunt doubles for pretty much every action scene. Although, if Vesemir is not going to be prominently featured in the second season and would just appear in key scenes, then things might be able to work out here.