News on The Witcher homefront has been bleak ever since Henry Cavill announced he was stepping down as Geralt of Rivia. It became even bleaker after fans learned that the series wouldn’t stop with Cavill’s departure, but instead be carried on by Australian actor and brother to the God of Thunder himself, Liam Hemsworth.
Cavill’s departure has been met with such severity that a petition has gone around demanding the showrunners be fired and Hemsworth prevented from stepping in as the next White Wolf, but as we learned from Game of Thrones, that’s unlikely to happen.
That’s where Mads Mikkelsen comes into play. Like Hemsworth, Mikkelsen auditioned for the part of Geralt alongside Cavill, but unlike Hemsworth, Mikkelsen was actually the top choice to play the character. As we know, the role ultimately went to Cavill, which was obviously the right choice – Cavill is, after all, the perfect Geralt, made even more perfect by his own admiration for the franchise – but the 39-year-old English actor is officially trading Geralt’s sword for Superman’s cape and there’s no use beating a dead horse over the issue any longer.
That being said, Mikkelsen’s talents necessitate acknowledgment. Through his various roles in Hannibal, The Hunt, and Casino Royale, the Danish actor has proven himself to be a versatile veteran of the craft.
Unfortunately, Mikkelsen won’t become the next Geralt of Rivia (unless Netflix has a major change of heart). However, that hasn’t stopped us from dream-casting him in other Witcher roles, many of which he would positively excel in.
Without further ado, here are six characters from The Witcher universe that we think would be an absolute home run for Mikkelsen.
Isengrim Faoiltiarna
If he can’t be the White Wolf, let him be the Iron Wolf.
In the series, Isengrum Faoiltiarna was an elf and member of the Scoia’tael who played a part in the attack on the Brotherhood of Sorcerers and was also responsible for the capture of Cahir, the officer of the Nilfgaardian Empire who appeared in both seasons one and two of the Netflix show. Isengrum was also the Colonel of the Vrihedd Brigade in the Battle of Brenna. He hasn’t appeared yet in the show so it’s not too late to bring him on board.
Leo Bonhart
Mikkelsen’s rough-around-the-edges appearance makes him a perfect casting choice for Leo Bonhart. In the series, Bonhart was a bounty hunter for hire who killed not one, not two, but three witchers in his lifetime, and was even hired to kill Ciri. Best of all, he kept each witcher’s medallion as trophies.
Stefan Skellen
If not a bounty hunter, let Mikkelsen be the one who does the hiring. In the series, Stefan Skellen was a member of the Imperial Secret Service tasked by Emperor Emhyr to capture Ciri. Stefan employed the skill of mercenaries like Leo Bonhart to do his bidding, and it’d be a real treat to see Mikkelsen play this kind of behind-the-scenes calculated character.
Iorweth
In keeping with the Scoia’tael, Mikkelsen could easily play Iorweth, a skilled hunter and elf who was famous for his burning hatred of humans. Although Iorweth didn’t have the biggest part to play, his ruthless demeanor and idealist notions made him a memorable character that Mikkelsen could breathe even more life into. Plus, seeing him battle it out with Geralt would be a sight for sore eyes.
Eredin Bréacc Glas
We know what you’re thinking. This character would waste Mikkelsen’s talents by hiding his face and body behind intricate black armor and a helmet. But the commander of the Wild Hunt? Mikkelsen would absolutely smash this role. Plus, now that the Wild Hunt was officially introduced at the end of season two, there is some great source material on the horizon for the character, including trying to capture Ciri and use her to open up all the gates to the different worlds so he can rule them all. If you’re going to introduce one of the strongest characters in the franchise, at least give it to a talented actor like Mikkelsen. Just saying.
Vesemir
Okay, we know what you’re thinking, but consider this one dream casting. We know Vesemir is already played by Kim Bodnia – who is spectacular in the role, yes – but hey, if we’re recasting people, why not just go for the jugular and recast Vesemir? No bad blood towards Bodnia, we just know Mikkelsen would knock the role out of the park.