The Witcher Season 2 Recasts Eskel

The second season of Netflix's The Witcher has undergone a shakeup of sorts, as actor Thue Rasmussen had to drop out of the sophomore season due to a scheduling conflict, and now we know who his replacement is.

Deadline reports that Victoria actor Basil Eidenbenz has come aboard to play Eskel in Season 2. Eidenbenz has been filming scenes for Season 2 since the production resumed again in August. Eskel, a new character for Season 2, is a Witcher from the school of the wolf.

The Witcher was one of the first major productions to be suspended in the UK due to COVID-19, after actor Kristofer Hivju tested positive for coronavirus.

While The Witcher Season 2 doesn't have a confirmed release date, showrunner Lauren Hissrich previously stated that it would appear sometime in 2021. Hissrich has also suggested that the story of The Witcher Season 2 will be easier to follow than that of Season 1, which was spread over different timelines. "The story will be much more linear, now that the three characters' stories have started to intersect," she explained.

The Witcher stars Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, Freya Allan as Ciri, Anya Chalotra as Yennefer, Eamon Farren as Cahir, and Joey Batey as Jaskier. It's based on the book series by Andrzej Sapkowski, which in turn inspired the popular video game series.