By The Witcher Season 2 is fast approaching and we cannot wait to see it very soon, but that doesn’t mean we can forget about Season 3. As we last reported, it was already in the casting process and here’s another thing for us to speculate about.
An audition tape was published for The Witcher Season 3 from the actor Jesse Badger (Shadow & Bone). While it isn’t stated who is he auditioning for, our educated guess would be King Ethain of Cidaris because he appears to be a connoisseur of art and poetry, which Ethain certainly was in the books.
He appears to be meeting none other than Jaskier and namedrops a rival bard codenamed Victor Marius, which certainly stands for Valdo Marx. Another curious thing is that he sounded like he was flirting with Jaskier on one or two occasions.
Also, keep in mind that these tapes are most of the time made up just for the audition and this may not be an actual scene from the next season.
UPDATE: The tape has very quickly gone private, but below is a transcription
Here is a transcription of the tape, but keep in mind, some words aren’t clear and we did the best we could on the highest volume. Still, even with a few missing words, one can get the gist:
Jaskier: It’s been years since I’ve seen the princess. Also, ……. If I could help…
Man: It’s nice, but nothing like you chose. What I wouldn’t give to hear you play halfway as … on that one.
Jaskier: Oh, a fan? And someone who understands true artistry? How the instrument and the artist can elevate each other.
Man: Yes, two things of beauty, made to be together.
Jaskier: Precisely!
Man: So here’s a thought: this poor princess has enemies everywhere and truth be told our kingdom’s not a bad place. It’s cold in winter and humid in summer. The cuisine, however, spectacular. And my brother’s not bad as far as my likes are concerned. Renovia may not be perfect, but it’s her least bad option. And if you came to Renovia, you could be our royal troubadour. Otherwise we might have to listen to that reedy voice of Victor Marius. Just think about it, would you?
Jaskier: I would.
Man: We should be going. [Suggestive] Unless you’d like to show me how you play your instrument.
The princess is question is undoubtedly Cirilla and Renovia sounds clearly like Redania. But it’s unclear why a king presumably from Cidaris would negotiate for Ciri to be surrendered to Redanians.
He also talks of a brother, who he assures isn’t so bad. Our current theory is that in the Netflix series, King Ethain of Cidaris and King Vizimir of Redania are brothers. This would explain a lot, including the visual resemblance between the type Netflix needs for Ethain and Ed Birch, who will appear in Season 2 of The Witcher as Vizimir.
The Witcher Season 2 premieres on December 17, 2021 while Season 3 will enter production in February 2022 for a 2023 release.
