Who’d you cast to play Geralt of Rivia in the Witcher movie?
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has proven an excellent game, and it’s only made us hungry for a movie adaptation.
Seriously, a movie based on the Witcher video game franchise (which in turn is based on a series of novels penned by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski) would be sweet. It’d be like Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings. Only with more blood. And gore. And nudity. And a huge dose of doom and gloom. Think a darker, grittier, and more grown-up fantasy than anything we’ve seen so far in cinema.
But we can’t have the Witcher movie without its lead star. To get an idea of what kind of role that’ll be like, watch the following The Witcher 3 videos!
Watch Geralt fight a Vampire in this trailer. Timeless.
So, who do you think deserves to play the legendary White Wolf? In this article, we discuss the10 Celebrities Who Fit The Role of Geralt of Rivia. So hold on to your shins as we once again dive into the wonderful world of imaginary cinema…
10. Sean Bean
Best of Eddard Stark - Game of Thrones
Sean Bean, the man of a thousand deaths, would make a great Geralt for obvious reasons.
Given the number of fantasy, historical, and science fiction films he’s appeared in, we’re pretty sure he knows a thing or two about sticking a sword through bad guys. In Fellowship of the Ring, he brought gravitas to the Boromir character, and even kicked major butt. Sure, he got himself killed, but it took three arrows to the chest before he went down for good, slaughtering a bunch of Uruks in the process.
Most recently, he lost his poor noggin in HBO’s critically acclaimed Game of Thrones. But hey, a man who can stare death in the face countless times without flinching is a badass in our book.
He’d be higher up this list if he weren’t already in his mid-50s. Geralt’s an old dude, but he ain’t that old.
Rallying the troops
Sean Bean comes with a detachable head
9. Viggo Mortensen
Aragorn sure likes holding his sword close to his face...
Well of course Viggo Mortensen would be on this list. He’s a bigtime fantasy hero!
Mortensen’s participated in plenty of films, but we geeks most fondly remember his stint as Aragorn in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. As Strider and later the incipient king of Gondor, he possessed the swordsmanship, marksmanship, and leadership of a true hero – at home disemboweling trolls as he was leading an army of specters against Sauron’s forces.
Like fellow Fellowship member, Sean Bean, Mortensen would be closer to the #1 spot were he a little younger.
... as in really, really close
8. Manu Bennett
A man you don't want to mess with
Who’s Manu Bennett? Most people know him for playing one of DC Comics’ most popular villains, Slade Wilson, a.k.a Deathstroke in the hit television series, Arrow. But did you know he also played orc chieftain Azog the Defiler in Peter Jackson’s Hobbit films?
Prepared for anything
And what an imposing figure Azog made in The Hobbit trilogy! Sure, Bennet was buried under a thousand layers of CG, but we can thank the actor for the character’s intensity. Arrow viewers can attest to this to; as Deathstroke, Bennet is a force to be reckoned with.
Definitely a contender in the role to play Geralt in the Witcher movie!
Goes ballistic when promises are broken
7. Jason Statham
Jason Statham, swordsman
Jason Statham is the consummate action star. He knows martial arts, he’s convincing with either a gun or a blade, and he does his own stunts.
He’s also known for playing antiheroes, which is exactly what Geralt is. But is the bad boy of The Expendables and The Transporter franchises a good fit in a fantasy film?
He will cut you down
Unbeknown to many, Statham actually did appear in a fantasy flick – the Uwe Boll-directed crap-fest In the Name of the King (an affront to the Dungeon Siege series). And it’s probably a role he’d rather everyone forgot, being one of the worst films of the late 2000s.
Still, we believe Statham deserves a second chance to star in a swords and sorcery film like the Witcher movie. He’s definitely got the athleticism for it!
Statham versus a fake-looking orc
6. Daniel Craig
Did he just murder that giant behind him?
Though nowadays everybody knows him as James Bond, we believe Daniel Craig has the acting chops, not to mention physical vigor, to pull off Geralt of Rivia. He even resembles the character!
Craig’s been in a couple of fantasy films, most notably 2007’s The Golden Compass. He also had a minor role in the biographical film Elizabeth, so you can’t say a less contemporary setting is alien to him. And yes, he starred alongside Angelina Jolie in 2001’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, so appearing in a movie based on a video game wouldn’t be a surprise.
Knows how to keep his suit spotless and clean
5. Vin Diesel
Rockin' the beard
Yes, yes, he doesn’t look much like Geralt – he doesn’t even have hair! But that’s nothing a talented make-up artist and a wig can’t fix.
Vin Diesel is on this list because we believe the silent intensity he brings to most of his performances would be perfect for Geralt of Rivia, who is himself the quiet, brooding type.
Disgruntled witch hunter
Diesel hasn’t been in a lot of fantasy films, but he is the man behind Guardians of the Galaxy’s Groot, and the space-faring mercenary, Riddick from Chronicles of Riddick. Diesel’s a huge gaming geek too, so assuming the role of a video game character is right up his alley.
Lastly, he’ll be playing an immortal swordsman in the upcoming action-fantasy movie, The Last Witch Hunter.
I mean, wow. That title. Coincidence, or destiny?
And seriously, watch the trailer and tell us its fantasy elements don’t bring the Witcher movie to mind.
4. Clive Owen
As good with a sword...
This Academy Award nominee has had roles in plenty of outstanding films, from critical darling sci-fi thriller Children of Men to the excellent Sin City.
But fans of the legend of Camelot will remember Clive Owen’s part in 2004’s King Arthur film, where he played the eponymous hero. The role proved Owen is a natural in a medieval setting – which is probably why, this 2015, he appeared in Last Knights, another film set in the Middle Ages.
Both films were panned by critics, but they don’t take away from the fact that Clive Owen would make a great character in a medieval fantasy film like the Witcher movie. And because of his enormous screen presence, he should be no one else but Geralt.
... as he is with a bow
Clive Owen in Last Knights
3. Gerard Butler
A scary, scary man
If you enjoy your fantasy films populated with sweaty, half-naked beefcakes, then there isn’t a chance in the world you haven’t heard of Gerard Butler.
Gerard Butler’s iconic role as King Leonidas in 300 made him the ultimate Hollywood badass, but did you know that in 2001, he also played Attila the Hun in the Attila TV miniseries? For those who don’t know, Attila is recognized as one of the most savage warriors and effective military leaders in history. Butler also lent his uber manly voice to the character Stoick the Vast in the How to Train Your Dragon movies – another manly man whose CG biceps are so huge you can fit five Hiccups in one arm.
For his impressive physique and unparalleled onscreen ferocity, we believe Gerard would make a great Geralt in the Witcher movie.
Someone just pissed him off
King Leonidas in 300 - Final battle
2. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Overly fond of his sister
There is no fantasy fan today who hasn’t heard of Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.
This bad boy is turning heads (and stomachs) as the incestuous Jaime Lannister in the television phenomenon, Game of Thrones.
And we all know from that show that, as well as looking great in medieval armor, the man can act. Coster-Waldau is theatre-trained, who, as a young man, made his debut in a stage production of Hamlet. In 2005 he starred alongside Orlando Bloom in Kingdom of Heaven, a film set in the 12th century Crusades. And in 2016, he’s set to appear in Gods of Egypt, an epic fantasy film involving Ancient Egyptian mythology.
He’s terrific with the sword, has experience in medieval fantasy shows, and can pull off Geralt’s look. The Witcher movie would definitely be something with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as its lead.
His pretty boy good looks have the ladies swooning
1. Richard Armitage
Fur and steel
And at #1 we have the king himself, Richard Armitage.
As Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy, we’ve seen Armitage as a warrior, a ruler, and a man (well, Dwarf). His portrayal of the Dwarven king as someone both conflicted and sympathetic, possessing both honor and internal turmoil, endeared the character to audiences worldwide and ensured his place in the history of fantasy cinema.
Probably needs a shower
Aside from The Hobbit films, Armitage has had roles in movies such as Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass; television shows like Cleopatra, Macbeth, and Robin Hood; and theatre such as Macbeth and Hamlet.
And he looks like Geralt, too! Sure, it’s a little hard to see the White Wolf under that messy Dwarven hair and makeup. But he’s got the strong, pointed nose; the thin, angry mouth; the wide forehead; and those deep, penetrating eyes that tell us of a man who’s capable of cruelty as he is of kindness – a man who’s seen all the ugliness in the world, and survived. For these reasons, we think Armitage is perfect for the role of Geralt of Rivia in the Witcher movie.
Richard Armitage... or Geralt of Rivia? (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Invision for Warner Bros./AP Images, from The Hobbit)
Thorin vs Azog - Final battle in The Hobbit
Honorable Mentions
Anyone who’s seen 1995’s award-winning Braveheart will know what a dashing medieval warrior Mel Gibson made – perfect for the role of Geralt of Rivia. Similarly, Liam Neeson, who’s shown he’s no stranger to science fiction and fantasy (thanks to his roles in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and the Narnia films) would have made a great Geralt. Unfortunately, with the former pushing 60, and the latter already there, both actors are too old for the role.
Well, that’s about it for this fantasy trip. What about you guys? Which actors do you think would make a great Geralt of Rivia? Tell us in the comments section below!
