The hit Netflix series The Witcher has been gaining acclaim and drawing comparisons to HBO's Game of Thrones by fans and critics alike. Recently the actress playing Ciri addressed direct comparisons to the character of Arya Stark, saying that there should be no association and that her character is very different. Author of the series, Andrzej Sapkowski, shares similar sentiments and voiced his opinions in front of a Warsaw Comic-Con crowd back in 2018.
“I believe that my job as a creative consultant for this series is to make sure that at NO point in the show [will] Ed Sheeran sing. And that I will make sure doesn’t happen. I will make sure.”
The reference was in regards to Game of Thrones casting Ed Sheeran to play a Lannister soldier in season seven. Many fans of the series weren't happy about the cameo, and even series actor Kristian Nairn (Hodor) was judgemental of the casting. Sapkowski made it clear that his job isn't to bring modern musicians into the story in order to boost numbers, but rather tell the story as faithfully as possible.
The Witcher was initially a series of books written by Sapkowski, and then later adapted into several video games. The author has had an intimate hand in consultation with series showrunner Lauren Hissrich. The pair can be seen in a special feature episode entitled "Writing The Witcher" talking about their work together and seeing the books come to life. In the episode, Hissrich asks Sapkowski if there's anything he's afraid to see come out of this series to which he replies, "You can't judge a soup by its groceries." So far Sapkowski seems incredibly pleased with the series, however, it's clear that Sapkowski is not interested in any special stunt casting to boost numbers.
The series currently has no need for any audience boosting as its currently one of Netflix's highest-rated series and has boosted numbers for players coming back to The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt on Steam. With fans begging to know when season two arrives, there appears to be no need for any special casting or tricks to get audiences to watch. This, however, may be bad news for Star Wars fans.
This could be the end of the fan theory that Mark Hamill will play Geralt of Rivia's mentor, Vesemir. Hamill expressed interest in playing the role on Twitter, while Hissrich tweeted out descriptions of main characters and the attributes. Hamill expressed that he didn't know anything about The Witcher, but that he was interested in playing the role.
Many fans have applauded the idea, which is a different reaction to how they responded with Ed Sheeran on Game of Thrones. One fan has even taken to designing what Hamill could look like in the role in one haunting yet perfect image. It is yet to be seen whether or not Hamill will be offered the role or if Vesemir will make an appearance in season 2.
The Witcher television series can be streamed now on Netflix, and The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt can be played on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Source: ComicBook.com