Warning: this article contains spoilers for The Wheel of Time book series and may contain spoilers for season 3 of The Wheel of Time.Season 3 of Amazon's The Wheel of Time has made massive changes from the books, and although some important characters are expected to make their first appearances in the season, that's not guaranteed.
Very little casting information has been confirmed in of those characters, however, with only a handful of rumors about who will be playing major figures, such as the rest of Elayne Trakand's royal family or Perrin's new love interest. There are also quite a few important characters that haven't even had a rumor about who has been cast. With those gaps in mind, here are some of those major figures from The Wheel of Time and who could bring these roles to life.
Wheel of Time season 3 unconfirmed casting rumors |
|
|---|---|
Character |
Cast |
Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan |
Shohreh Aghdashloo |
Queen Morgase Trakand |
Olivia Williams |
Galad Trakand |
Callum Kerr |
Jaichim Carridin |
Jordan Doreck |
Faile Bashere |
Isabella Bucceri |
10 Gawyn Trakand - Christopher Briney
Mean Girls' Aaron Samuels
Gawyn, the idealistic eldest son of Queen Morgase Trakand of Andor, is a major influence on the events of The Wheel of Time, both in his own right and as Egwene al'Vere's love interest. As the older brother of Elayne, Egwene’s friend and fellow White Tower novice, Gawyn has been groomed for leadership his whole life, and the conflict that envelops his home forces him into that role far sooner than he ever expected.
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While Christopher Briney is still making a name for himself as an actor, his turn as the heartthrob Aaron in Mean Girls: The Musical shows he knows how to play a dreamboat, and his appearance in 2022’s Dalíland biopic of Salvador Dalí demonstrates his ability to act in more serious roles. All in all, playing Gawyn Trakand would be an excellent opportunity for this young actor.
9 Gareth Bryne - Ian McShane
Mr. Wednesday In American Gods
Ian McShane is a phenomenal actor with years of experience, and Gareth Bryne, former First Prince of the Sword for Queen Morgase, is a character that requires that same weighty presence. McShane's time as the mysterious Wednesday in American Gods and Al Swearengen in Deadwood and Deadwood: The Movie show that he can truly command the screen.
Notably in the novels, Bryne eventually serves as a love interest for Siuan Sanche, the Amyrlin Seat. Since The Wheel of Time series has elevated Siuan's relationship with Moiraine into something openly romantic, this may mean that Bryne won't have a romantic arc with her — or it may turn into a point of conflict between them. Either way, McShane's grizzled countenance perfectly fits the aged blademaster.
8 Jaret Bynar - Austin Butler
Wil Ohmsford From The Shannara Chronicles
Most recently acclaimed for his portrayal of Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Dune: Part Two, Austin Butler is no stranger to fantasy TV, having starred in the criminally underrated The Shannara Chronicles as half-elven hero Wil Ohmsford. Jareth Bynar as a character is much closer to the former than the latter though; a grim and devout Child of the Light, Bynar served under Geofram Bornhald, who was killed by Perrin Aybara in The Wheel of Time’s second season finale.
Bynar is divided in his loyalties, as on the one hand, he remains a zealous Whitecloak, but on the other, he is beholden to the Shadow, either genuinely or under some kind of compulsion from the Forsaken Graendal. Bynar spends the books doggedly pursuing Perrin, who he blames for much of the wrong in the world. His grim nature is an excellent counterpart to Butler’s youthful face.
7 Rhuarc - Oded Fehr
Star Trek: Discovery's Fleet iral Charles Vance
Rhuarc is the chief of the Tardaad Aiel, the clan that shelters Rand and his friends as they travel into the Aiel Waste in pursuit of an answer to the next part of the Prophecy of the Dragon. Serving as equal parts advisor, tutor, and even father figure to Rand, Rhuarc is one of the Dragon Reborn’s staunchest allies as the war with the Shadow escalates towards the Last Battle.
Oded Fehr’s role as Fleet iral Vance, a leader forced to make hard decisions in order to save those under his protection, shows that he can easily blend the weight of leadership with the gallows humor so common to Aiel.
Fehr is also no stranger to playing the charismatic and grimly humorous leader of a band of desert nomads. In 1999’s The Mummy, he played Ardeth Bay, chief of the Medjai warriors charged with protecting the hidden city of Hamunaptra. He also reprised the role in 2001’s The Mummy Returns, underscoring his fantasy experience.
6 Sammael - Ben Barnes
Shadow And Bone's The Darkling
One of the Forsaken we've met in name only so far, Sammael is one of the Shadow's greatest generals, a brilliant tactician who served on the side of the Light during the Age of Legends until he turned traitor out of jealousy over Lews Therin Telamon being raised above him in rank. Notably, Sammael is also notorious for being insecure about his being of only average height, wishing that the One Power could be used to make him taller.
Ben Barnes' role as the Darkling in Netflix's Shadow and Bone shows his acting chops for this kind of part, both as a military commander and as a servant of malevolent powers. Really, the only thing working against Barnes for playing Sammael is the fact that he's 6'1" (via IMDB), but that's easily solved with a little camera trickery.
5 Graendal - Nicola Coughlin
Bridgerton's Penelope Bridgerton
Another of the yet-unseen of the Forsaken, Graendal is described as "plumply pretty," but such a description does a disservice not only to her beauty, but also to her viciousness. Although Graendal was not one of the stronger Forsaken in of raw channeling power, she was a psychologist and a master manipulator, happy to let foes underestimate her love for decadence so that she could take advantage of the unwary.
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Although Nicola Coughlin has yet to play anyone particularly villainous, her beauty is absolutely undeniable. As Penelope Bridgerton, she fit perfectly among the ostentatious trappings of the Regency era. As Graenal, she would shine equally bright, but also have a chance to bring out the venom that she got to spit all too rarely when she was on Derry Girls.
4 Mazrim Taim - Luke Pasquilano
D'Artagnan In The Musketeers
Luke Pasquilano's career has taken him from the working-class streets of London in Skins, to the hangar deck of Battlestar Galactica, to the courts of Paris in The Musketeers. Mazrim Taim, then, would be a very different sort of part for this dashing Englishman, but one he could play with aplomb.
Mazrim Taim was a false Dragon, but did have the ability to channel, and led his followers in causing chaos and destruction until he faltered and was captured after having a vision of Rand defeating Ishamael at Falme.
Taim eventually pledged loyalty to Rand, even offering to help lead and train other male channelers in service of the Dragon, but this would turn out to be a deception, as he had also sworn loyalty to the Dark One. Taim was even elevated to one of the Forsaken in time for the Last Battle – a complex arc that Paquilano could imbue with genuine empathy.
3 Rahvin - Oscar Isaac
Dune's Duke Leto Atreides
Although Rahvin is one of the Forsaken whose appearance in the show is yet unconfirmed, his central role in events, heavily tied to Queen Morgase and the throne of Andor, means his appearance is likely inevitable.
Often described as the most handsome of the Forsaken, a male equivalent in beauty to Lanfear, Rahvin is a proud and cruel man. In disguise under the name of Gaebril, he gets Morgase under his thumb and mental compulsion, steering her decisions in order to achieve his own ends.
Oscar Isaac, then, is a phenomenal actor for the role of Rahvin. As Duke Leto Atreides in Dune, he played the part of a doomed noble with grace and aplomb. In Moon Knight, he schemed with himself thrice over. And of course, there's no denying that Isaac is one of the most handsome men in cinema today, making him perfect to play this beautiful betrayer.
2 Asmodean - Pedro Pascal
Game of Thrones' Oberyn Martell
While the Forsaken known as Asmodean also has not been directly confirmed as appearing in season 3, one of the statuettes of the Forsaken shown in season 1 is clearly holding a musical instrument, and Asmodean was the only one of the Forsaken with any talent in that area.
Once freed, Asmodean disguised himself as a gleeman and traveled with Lanfear to the Aiel Waste, where he ingratiated himself with Rand al'Thor and, in a strange turn of events, became the Dragon Reborn's first real tutor in how to safely channel the One Power. The role of this clever spinner of tales and lies is best filled by someone who is equal parts beguiling and insufferable, and few actors fit that bill quite as well as Pedro Pascal.
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While this is certainly a long shot, as Pascal's schedule for the foreseeable future is still complicated by his playing Din Djarin in The Mandalorian, there is no question that this Chilean-born actor would be as at home trading quips with Mat Cauthon as he was with Tyrion Lannister when he played the ill-fated Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones.
1 Moridin - Hale Appleman
Eliot Waugh In The Magicians
In one of the biggest changes from the books so far, the Forsaken’s leader Ishamael was killed in the finale of season 2, as opposed to surviving his duel with Rand only to die at his hands later. This early death means that Ishamael’s eventual resurrection and rebirth with the name Moridin, which doesn’t happen until the seventh book, A Court of Shadows, could also happen sooner.
While Ishamael’s malice was a tired and personal thing after his millennia of scheming after the Breaking of the World, his reborn self is a more intense and sadistic man. While outwardly calm to a preternatural degree, Moridin held a far greater depth of madness than his previous life, and portraying that dichotomy requires an actor that knows how to chew both scenery and hearts.
IMDB's Highest Rated Episodes of The Wheel of Time |
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Episode Number |
Title |
IMDB Score |
S2.E8 |
What Was Meant to Be |
8.9 |
S2.E6 |
Eyes Without Pity |
8.7 |
S1.E4 |
The Dragon Reborn |
8.5 |
As disaster academic Eliot Waugh in The Magicians, Hale Appleman showed a tremendous breadth of talent. While The Wheel of Time is unlikely to involve covering a song by The Pretenders, it will demand a Moridin that can go from jovial to murderous in a heartbeat. In the finale of The Magicians’ third season, Eliot was possessed by an amoral monster known as Nameless, who embodied the same murderous flights of fancy as Moridin, and shows Appleman knows how to portray genuine evil with a smile – an important trait for this key The Wheel of Time character.
Sources: IMDB
The Wheel of Time
- Release Date
- November 18, 2021
- Network
- Prime Video
- Showrunner
- Rafe Judkins
Cast
Moiraine Damodred
al'Lan Mandragoran
WHERE TO WATCH
The Wheel of Time follows Moiraine, a member of the powerful all-female organization Aes Sedai, as she leads a perilous quest with five young individuals. Moiraine suspects one among them could be the prophesized reincarnation of a mighty figure destined to either save or doom humanity.
- Directors
- Sanaa Hamri, Ciaran Donnelly, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Thomas Napper, Maja Vrvilo, Wayne Che Yip
- Franchise(s)
- The Wheel of Time
- Seasons
- 3
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