The Witcher season 2 has reportedly cast two actors to play young Geralt and Vesemir, indicating flashbacks are ahead. Upon its premiere in December 2019, The Witcher became Netflix's latest binge-watching sensation. Based on the novels by Andrzej Sapkowski (which also led to some beloved video games), The Witcher stars Henry Cavill as enhanced monster hunter Geralt of Rivia as he travels the fantastical world of the Continent for jobs. Along the way, his destiny becomes intertwined with others, such as Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra) and Princess Ciri (Freya Allen).
The Witcher was renewed for season 2 before the series even premiered, but production was beset by many complications. For one thing, The Witcher was one of the many television shows that had to halt filming due to the coronavirus pandemic. Additionally, Cavill suffered an on-set injury that left him out of commission for several weeks. It took much longer than expected, but The Witcher season 2 officially completed filming just last week. This means the new episodes could arrive by the end of the year, provided post-production efforts aren't slowed too much by the ongoing pandemic.
Now fans have another reason to get excited about The Witcher season 2. According to Redanian Intelligence, Alexander Squires and James Baxter have reportedly joined the cast as young Geralt and Vesemir, respectively. Tristan Ruggeri previously played a child Geralt in The Witcher season 1, but the new flashbacks promise to show a slightly older version of the character. Additionally, it's said the flashbacks will feature Tamer Hassan as Deglan, a mysterious character who will appear in the animated The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf.
Witcher fans know Vesemir to be Geralt's mentor, as well as the oldest and most experienced Witcher around. Kim Bodnia (Killing Eve) will play the adult Vesemir in season 2, and he'll appear when Geralt brings Ciri to the legendary castle of Kaer Morhen. Vesemir is an important part of Geralt's story, and his arrival is a big event for the new episodes. By casting younger versions of the mentee and mentor, The Witcher looks to really dig into their relationship, which will surely deepen it for their present day interactions.
Meanwhile, Vesemir's backstory will be told in Nightmare of the Wolf, which is expected to premiere on Netflix later this year. It remains to be seen if Baxter will voice Vesemir for that film, but fans will presumably find out once the film's release gets closer. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how he and Squires fair as the Vesemir and Geralt of The Witcher's past once season 2 arrives.
Source: Redanian Intelligence