Thank the Saints, Shadow and Bone season 2 has cast its Nikolai and Wylan

Shadow and Bone season 2 has officially entered production – and, after almost a year of waiting, we finally know who'll play fan favorite characters in Nikolai and Wylan.

Announced in a video before filming on Shadow and Bone season 2 begun, the Netflix show's cast confirmed that the cameras had started rolling once more on location in Budapest.

But that's not the only news that'll make Shadow and Bone fans shout "Thank the Saints!" over and over again. Four of the Netflix show's new cast members were also revealed, including the actors who'll portray beloved characters in Nikolai and Wylan.

Check out the video below:

Patrick Wolfe (Tolkien, The Darkest Minds) will play Nikolai Lantsov, who also goes by the pseudonym Sturmhond in Leigh Bardugo's fantasy novel series. In the books, the former King of Ravka reinvents himself as the leader of a pirate crew to hide his true identity from The Darkling.

Of the newly announced quartet, Mortal Kombat star Lewis Tan is arguably the most well-known. Tan will portray Tolya Yul-Bataar, a Grisha Heartrender and a member of Nikolai's pirate crew. 

Jack Wolfe (Inside No. 9, The Witcher) will play Wylan Hendriks – in the novels, he's known as Wylan Van Eck, but his name has been changed for Netflix's TV adaptation. In Bardugo's series, Wylan joins the Dregs as a demolitions expert and helps them to rescue someone called Bol Yul-Bayur from the Ice Court, a Fjerdan stronghold.

Finally, Anna Leong Brophy (Last Tango in Halifax, Traces) Brophy will portray Tolya's twin brother Tamar Kir-Battar, another Heartrender but an ex-member of Nikolai's crew. Curiously, Tamar doesn't appear in Shadow and Bone's mainline trilogy of books, but we'll explain why she's in season 2 below.

Recent reports had suggested that principal photography on Shadow and Bone season 2 would begin in early January. And, based on these announcements, those rumors have been proven correct.

It's unclear how long season 2 will be in production for. However, filming on Shadow and Bone's first season took four months to complete. If its sequel takes a similar amount of time, principal photography may end around May. If that ends up being the case, we could feasibly see Shadow and Bone season 2 land in the final couple of months of 2022, which would be a superb early Christmas present.

Analysis: Shadow and Bone season 2's story will cover more than one book

Shadow and Bone's new cast members offer an intriguing glimpse into season 2's potential storylines.

As we mentioned, Tamar Kir-Battar's addition to this cast seemingly confirms that Shadow and Bone season 2 will draw from more than one of the novels. Why? Because Tamar doesn't appear in the book series' three main entries.

Tamar's first appearance is in King of Scars, an offshoot from the main trilogy that follows Nikolai Lantsov, Nina Zenik (who is played by Danielle Galligan in the show) and, perhaps most importantly, Zoya Nazyalensky, who Sujaya Dasgupta plays in the TV show.

Given that Tamar and her twin brother Tolya meet up with Zoya in King of Scars, and that the trio are part of the season 2 cast, we're very confident in saying that season 2's plot will incorporate elements of King of Scars That's alongside Siege and Storm – the second novel in the main trilogy – and potentially Crooked Kingdom, the second book in another spin-off book series that continues the Dregs' story. 

The show's first season incorporated elements from Six of Crows – the first novel that stars the Dregs – alongside Shadow and Bone, the first novel in the mainline series, so Netflix has previous form for combining stories from the books in its TV adaptation. 

With Shadow and Bone season 2 adding four new characters from a various books in the series, then, we'd be surprised if plot threads from Siege and Storm, Crooked Kingdom and King of Scars don't make up season 2's eight-episode run. Hopefully, we'll get some sort of official confirmation at Paris Roster Con, with a Shadow and Bone season 2 panel taking place at the event between January 22 and 23.

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