Production on Netflix's The Witcher Season 2 is currently in full flow, but that hasn't stopped new information from filtering out while filming is ongoing. The latest reveal comes via an exclusive report from The Hollywood Reporter, which claims that Netflix has added seven new cast members, and that this septuplet will play key roles in the upcoming season.
According to the report, Bridgerton stars Adjoa Andoh and Chris Fulton have been cast as Priestess Nenneke and Rience respectively, while The Hobbit actor Graham McTavish will portray Sigismund Dijkstra.
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Cassie Clare (Brave New World) will play Philippa Eilhart, Liz Carr (Silent Witness) has been cast as Fenn, and Simon Callow (Four Weddings and Funeral) will portray Fenn's partner Codringher. Finally, Downton Abbey actor Kevin Doyle will play an original character named Ba'lian, but there are no details on how this new character will factor into the show's plot yet.
These new cast members join actors reprising their role from season 1 and fellow season 2 newcomers. Henry Cavill (Geralt of Rivia), Anya Chalotra (Yennefer) and Freya Allen (Ciri) have returned for the second instalment in Netflix's adaptation, while there are multiple additions to season 2's cast. You can see the full list of actors in The Witcher season 2 on our show hub page.
Who are The Witcher season 2's new characters?
Spoilers for The Witcher book series and season 1 of Netflix's adaptation follow. Proceed at your own risk.
As mentioned, the only character on this list without a history in The Witcher universe is Ba'lian. He hasn't appeared in Andrzej Sapowski's source material, or the video games that are based on the author's novels, so it'll be interesting to see what role he plays in proceedings. We can provide details on the other six characters for those who may be unfamiliar with them though.
Nenneke is a Priestess of Melitele and Head of the Temple of Melitele in Ellander. In the books, Nenneke healed Geralt's wounds - when he was younger - after a near fatal encounter with a monster known as a Striga. Nenneke also has ties to Yennefer, with the pair meeting at the temple before Geralt's initial arrival.
Philippa Eilhart is advisor to King Vizimir II, who rules over Redania. She's also the leader of the Sorceresses, and is believed to be one of the few magic users who can transform into an animal or bird with ease. Dijkstra, meanwhile, is Head of Redania's Secret Service division and regularly carries out spy duties for King Vizimir II.
Fenn and Codringher are a famous Dorian-based detective duo. In the books, the pair are both male, but Fenn's gender has been altered for Netflix's adaptation. Finally, Rience was a mage who, in the novels, was instructed to locate Ciri after the slaughter at Cintra by his master Vilgefortz. The latter was killed in season 1's finale, so it's possible that Rience will appear to finish the task that his master asked of him and to potentially seek revenge on those who killed Vilgefortz.
It's unclear if Netflix will stick closely to the events of Sapowski's books for season 2, or if it will take creative liberties with the source material. If it's the latter, the newly announced characters may appear at different points in the story to The Witcher novels, or cross over with characters that they haven't met in the books.
Hopefully, it won't be too long until we find out for certain. The Witcher season 2 is on course for a 2021 release, but that launch date may be altered if the Covid-19 pandemic cause any issues during the current filming schedule.
