With the announcement that Netflix will be producing a tv series based on The Witcher,
fans of the video games and books alike have been speculating as to who would be the perfect
fit for the lead role of Geralt of Rivia.
Geralt is a Witcher, a travelling monster slayer for hire,; a threatening, cynical and
apathetic badass who is cold on the outside, despite harbouring a good sense of humour
and a fierce sense of loyalty to the few he considers friends.
He’s a character that no one wants to see butchered, that’s for sure.
So today, we’re counting down our picks for the best casting choices for the series
protagonist with our list of the top 10 actors who should play Geralt the Witcher.
10 Tom Hardy Tom Hardy is a bit of an acting chameleon.
The man has shown that he’s capable of playing a diverse selection of roles and fully committing
to them, the likes of Bane, Mad Max and John Fitzgerald in the Revenant.
And while he doesn’t have the physically imposing height that Geralt seemingly boasts,
he’s willing to make sacrifices to achieve the right aesthetic.
When he played Bane in the Dark Knight Rises, he wore platform shoes in order to make the
character more intimidating.
Plus, dude is pretty hot.
He might not be your atypical pretty boy, but neither is Geralt, and both exude a similar
kind of sex appeal.
9 Gerard Butler Gerard Butler may not be the first name that
comes to mind when thinking of a live action Geralt, but once you give it some thought,
he could totally work.
Remember him in 300?
That kind of gruffness is exactly what could work for Geralt.
Plus, as the internet has pointed out, his character in Attila looks quite similar to
Geralt at times, minus the darker coloured hair.
The question that many people wonder though is whether or not he’d be able to bring
Geralt’s specific brand of brooding to life, and if he has the chops to accurately portray
him.
But hey, if given the chance, he might surprise us.
8 Taylor Kitsch There’s a lot of debate over whether the
Witcher series will follow a younger Geralt or one a bit older.
If the series were to explore Geralt’s days as a young Witcher, many people would be on
board to see Taylor Kitsch take on the role.
If you’re unsure about how he’d be able to pull of Geralt’s look, take a look at
him in John Carter.
And maybe forget everything else about John Carter, really.
Kitsch has pulled off the quiet and broody type before, and with a little work, there’s
a solid chance he could pull Geralt off.
7 Travis Fimmel Y’all probably recognize Travis the most
as Ragnar Lodbrok in Vikings; a role that has him playing as bloody and gruesomely as
some of the best on this list.
He’s got the right kind of face for Geralt, and even though he probably comes off as being
really charming and cocky in Vikings, we think he’d be able to adapt to Geralt’s personality
and pull it off.
6 Luke Evans Luke Evans has earned his stripes in the fantasy
genre.
From The Hobbit to Immortals to Dracula Untold, he knows how to pull off a period piece and
don armour like he was born for it.
Evans is known for being a great physical actor, so he’d be able to pull off some
of the more demanding physical requirements for Geralt, and look damn good while fighting
off monsters.
Others have noted that the actor’s voice would provide a nice familiarity to the Geralt
we know and love in the video games, despite his face not quite being what many of us imagine
Geralt to look like.
5 Karl Urban Karl Urban is yet another actor on this list
with an extensive amount of experience in the fantasy genre.
Just take one look at him in Lord of the Rings; dude could rode into Helm’s Deep like a
total bad ass and cut through an onslaught of orcs like they were butter.
Then, in Dredd, he portrayed the iconic Judge Dredd, and busted out a much more serious
side.
While Urban may be a tad off physically to play Geralt, from an acting skill perspective,
he would be able to bring the necessary umph that Geralt needs.
4 Anson Mount One look at Anson and you can tell he’s
a bit of a bad ass.
Boasting the kind of physically imposing stature that Geralt needs, Anson, who many may recognize
from Marvel’s Inhumans, has a lot more skill than some of his recent roles have given him
credit for.
In Marvel’s Inhumans, he plays the king of the Inhumans, Black Bolt, who has a destructive
hypersonic voice, therefore he often remains completely mute.
And when Mount does speak in real life, his voice has the kind of heft that would be fitting
of Geralt.
The kind of intensity that Mount brought to that role would be great for the character.
Here’s hoping that if he plays the Witcher, the writing he’ll have to work with will
be much better than what was in the Inhumans.
3 Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Nikolaj is most well-known for playing Ser
Jaime Lannister in Game of Thrones; a part that has not only shown off his chops on the
battle field, but has really exhibited his ability for range when it comes to tackling
a complex character.
He’s come a long way, from being a total royal twat to a handless, jaded man who has
been broken on many an occasion, and lost so much to the feuding in Westeros.
We’ve seen him cleaned up and we’ve seen him all rugged, and he’s a total sex symbol
in both respects.
Plus, he’s got the jaw line and eyes that would be fitting of Geralt’s, matching up
with his physical characterization in the video game quite well.
He’s also a pretty safe bet for the series, since Nikolaj is well-known with audiences,
and would likely attract viewers unfamiliar with the Witcher franchise.
2 Viggo Mortensen Viggo is no stranger to fantasy series.
Probably the closest physically to Geralt on this list, Viggo’s days as Aragorn in
the Lord of the Rings trilogy proves that he’s up to the task of what playing the
Witcher would demand physically.
It sure as hell wouldn’t be his first rodeo in that kind of genre.
He’s also shown in his previous work that he has the capacity to play a complex, cold
character, and can be utterly ruthless when necessary.
A man of many talents, Viggo has been nominated for two Oscars over the years, and you can
bet he’d bring his best to Geralt.
1 Mads Mikkelsen Mads Mikkelsen is often the forerunner amongst
fans when it comes to an actor playing Geralt.
For some, Mads is dream casting.
Most people may recognize him as the younger Hannibal Lecter; a vicious character who is
capable of being calm and collected – something that would serve the portrayal of Geralt quite
well.
He can bring the monster within the man alive, that’s for sure.
Mads is also a fairly attractive dude, in the same way that Geralt is, and it’s easy
to imagine him donning Geralt’s white hair without it looking incredibly cheesy.
He also shares the same kind of jaw and nose as Geralt, which has made it real easy for
some fans to visualize him in the role.
There we have it friends!
Which of these actors do you think would be the best for the role?
And what other actors do you think would be up to the challenge?
Give us a shout in those comments below and let us know your thoughts!
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