We’re only a few days into shooting on the second season of The Witcher, and already the rumor mill is churning with wild abandon. Perhaps one of the most exciting tidbits is the reportedly confirmed leak that Mark Hamill has officially been offered the part of Vesemir. According to fansite Redanian Intelligence, which has a good reputation for accuracy, that did indeed happen.
There’s been no word on whether Hamill has accepted the role or not as of this writing, so it’s a little early to celebrate…but the idea is still pretty exciting. Vesemir is Geralt of Rivia’s mentor, an old and kindly witcher who is prone to dropping invaluable wisdom…as well as taking the occasional impromptu mid-lesson nap. He’s a pretty important character in the series, figuring into both Geralt’s past and Ciri’s training at the witcher’s keep, Kaer Morhen, in big ways.
The Witcher – Credit: Katalin Vermes
The idea of Mark Hamill taking on the role of Vesemir almost feels like a second chance for him to play a wizened old mentor type after playing an older Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi. When you stop to think about it, there’s perhaps more in common between Vesemir and an older Luke than at first glance. After all, they both teach the next generation of an almost extinct warrior caste. How common of a job description is that?
Hamill has been a fan favorite casting for Vesemir since just after season 1 aired in December. Back then, he even took to Twitter to answer fans who pointed out that he would be a great fit for the role.
Apparently, the idea was taken to heart by Netflix and showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich, who even answered Hamill’s next post about it.
According to entertainment writer Daniel Richtman, before Hamill, the role was offered to both Michael Keaton and Mads Mikkelsen, who both passed. Either of those would have been interesting to watch…but for my money, Hamill seems like a much better fit for ol’ papa Vesemir.
What do you think? Is this the dream casting we’re looking for?
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