Following the announcement that Netflix will be adapting The Witcher game franchise (and book series by Andrzej Sapkowski) into a television show, we started to think about casting. Namely, who will find themselves holding the keys to the fabled role of Geralt of Rivia?
It’s highly possible Netflix will choose to cast a relatively unknown actor, though they could still end up surprising fans by bringing in a familiar face. Below, we’ve put together a list of 7 actors we think would nail the role of Geralt in Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of The Witcher.
7) Travis Fimmel
You may know Travis Fimmel best for his portrayal of Ragnar Lothbrok in the hit TV series, Vikings. Aside from the obvious fact that Fimmel’s work on Vikings gives him a decent leg up when it comes to filling the shoes of Geralt, he definitely has the same sort of brooding quality of Geralt where he can balancing raw power and charm.
One of the biggest detractors for Fimmel is the fact that he had a role in the arguably mediocre live adaptation of Warcraft. While we personally didn’t hate the film, it didn’t do as well as many gamers had hoped. Either way, we think Fimmel would have no trouble portraying Geralt—both in terms of acting skill and experience—should he land the part.
6) Anson Mount
Anson Mount may be best known for his role as Cullen Bohannon on the AMC show, Hell on Wheels. After following the show closely each season, we feel it’s safe to say that Anson Mount has the right personality and aesthetic for Geralt of Rivia. In addition to his work as Bohannon, Mount was recently cast as Black Bolt in the upcoming Marvel show, Inhumans.
And, if you’re looking with someone with video game experience, he was also a voice actor for the game The Evil Within. While Mount certainly has a lot of work on his plate, we can’t help but feel as though he’d be a great fit for Geralt. As of right now, we don’t know when the Netflix adaptation of The Witcher will air. However, if he’s available when the casting finally begins, we definitely think he deserves a shot at the role.
5) Mads Mikkelsen
If you set to aside the interesting fact that Mads is making an appearance in Hideo Kojima’s upcoming indie project, Death Stranding, he really does have an inherent “Geralt” quality about him. Whether it’s his outward appearance, or his imposing nature on screen, we feel like Mads Mikkelsen would be a grand slam as Geralt.
Despite our desire to see what sort spin Mikkelsen would put on Geralt, though, there’s no denying that he’s an unlikely candidate for a number of reasons. Mainly, would he accept the role if it were offered to him? With his presence in Death Stranding we’re leaning towards a possible “yes,” but it’s still hard to say. Mikkelsen is primarily a film actor, and though he’s done stellar work on television shows like Hannibal, we’re not sure how he’d feel about working on a Netflix original series.
4) Viggo Mortensen
Actor Viggo Mortensen has been lying low over the last few years, with his most recent role as Ben from Captain Fantastic. Despite being off the grid for a while, as we were thinking about actors who could take on the role of Geralt, Mortensen’s portrayal of Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings film series came to mind.
After revisiting the iconic Lord of the Rings trilogy, we definitely feel like Mortensen could give a solid performance as Geralt. Despite the fact that Mortensen may be a little too “high budget” for a Netflix original series, there’s no denying that he has some incredible acting chops. Either way, we know Mortensen is a highly unlikely candidate, but we felt compelled to include him due to just how well he’d fit as Geralt.
3) Charlie Hunnam
Charlie Hunnam is another actor that, while an unlikely choice for Geralt, is certainly a possibility nonetheless. For us, the driving factor behind putting Charlie Hunnam on this list is that he really looks the role of Geralt, and he has a lot of experience when it comes to TV acting on shows like Sons of Anarchy.
Additionally, he's not as "high budget" in comparison to other actors on this list, which may make him more inclined to accept an offer to star in a Netflix original series. Obviously this alone isn’t a good reason on its own to cast him, but with his recent work in films like Pacific Rim and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, there’s no question he has the acting talent to back up his Geralt-like aesthetic.
2) Jason Momoa
We know you’re thinking that this is a pretty far stretch for the version of Geralt of Rivia we all know and love, and we can understand why you feel this way. However, hear us out… while Momoa lacks many of the visual similarities compared to other actors on this list, the various roles he’s been cast over the years make him a good fit for Geralt.
Whether you know him best as Khal Drogo from Game of Thrones, Conan the Barbarian (the reboot), or the upcoming badass spin on DC’s Aquaman in this year's Justice League film, Momoa often ends up playing characters that mirror Geralt’s attitude, determination, and fearlessness. True, Momoa snagging the role of Geralt is a near-impossible scenario at this point. Nevertheless, should Netflix decide to cast Momoa, we wouldn’t exactly be complaining.
1) Sean Bean
Finally, we have the least likely candidate of all the actors on this list… Sean Bean. While Sean Bean has often been typecast into roles where he quickly ends up dying (something that has become a bit of a meme over the years), no one would argue with the statement that he’s an incredible actor. No matter what role he’s assigned, Bean always manages to find a way to make it his own.
Then you have the fact that Bean’s calm, but authoritative voice feels like it’d fit well with Geralt. In fact, he's even leant his smooth voice to video games including Sid Meier’s Civilization VI and Kholat. Overall, we really like Sean Bean, and we can’t help but think he’d make a great Geralt. Will he be cast as Geralt? No, probably (definitely) not. Could he do an amazing job should Netflix decide to seek him out? Absolutely!
Which actor would you love to see fill the role of Geralt in Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of The Witcher? Let us know in the comments below!