There’s more bad news for fans of The Witcher, as it’s not just Henry Cavill who has bid farewell to The Continent. While Netflix has already found their new White Wolf in Liam Hemsworth, the studio will also have to look for another core Witcher, as Kim Bodnia, who plays Vesemir in the series, will not be returning for the final two seasons. Bodnia portrayed the beloved Witcher tutor in Season 2, as Geralt returned to Kaer Morhen (the Witchers’ keep) with Ciri (Freya Allen) and Triss Merigold (Anna Shaffer).
A new report from Redanian Intelligence has confirmed that Kim Bodnia will not play Vesemir in the upcoming fourth season of The Witcher. It did not cite a reason why the Killing Eve star stepped away from the hit fantasy series. Vesemir was confirmed to appear in The Witcher Season 4 a few months ago, when it was also confirmed that Lambert (Paul Bullion) and Coen (Zates Atour) would play a part in the new season. Kim Bodnia was a fan favorite in the controversial second season of the show, with the actor perfectly balancing Vesemir’s softer side as a teacher with his grizzled veteran persona.
Most surprisingly, a replacement actor has not yet been found (or, at least, announced) by Netflix. The confusion and surprise is only heightened by the fact that production is currently underway on Season 4 of The Witcher. Leaked set photos have already revealed Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt of Rivia, alongside newcomer to Season 4; Laurence Fishburne (who will play the vampire Regis).
What Kim Bodnia’s Exit Means for The Witcher
Kim Bodnia’s stepping down from the role will come as a surprise to many who considered his performance one of the best aspects of Season 2. While the sophomore season altered many storylines and characters from the books, much to the dismay of the fan base, Vesemir was a saving grace, and fans of Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels were glad he was done justice in live-action. What Bodnia’s exit means for The Witcher‘s production remains to be seen, but, the character’s confirmation for Season 4 has revealed how The Witcher will round out its adaptation across the final two seasons.
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The Witcher has the monumental task of cramming the final three books in Sapkowski’s The Witcher series into two 8-episode-long seasons. While “Time of Contempt” (the next book in the series) is a fairly quick read, the final two novels are the longest in the series. The inclusion of Vesemir, Lambert, and Coen in Season 4 shows that the next season will be a hybrid of “Time of Contempt” and “The Tower of the Swallow.” Considering the length of the latter novel, Season 4 will presumably only adapt half of the book, and blend the back-half with “The Lady of the Lake” for the show’s fifth and final season. Not only does the series have to cram three novels into two seasons, but showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich also has to wrap up several original storylines created for the show. No easy task.