The Witcher: Blood Origin is almost upon us as the second spinoff in Netflix’s lineup of works associated with Andrzej Sapkowski’s fictional world, but fans don’t know whether to be excited about the prospects of a returning character or just dismiss the show altogether after the Henry Cavill-Liam Hemsworth debacle.
Meanwhile, HBO has also taken the opportunity to unveil a new full-length trailer for The Last of Us at Brazil’s CCXP. In it, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey melt into the roles of Joel and Ellie and traverse a post-apocalypse world where humanity is on the verge of extinction. Check out all of this and more in today’s roundup of speculative fantasy news.
This is where you’ve seen the latest additions to The Rings of Power cast before
The Lord of the Rings on Prime Video dropped a bombshell on fans this week by announcing seven new additions to the cast, one of whom will be replacing Joseph Mawle as Adar. There are several familiar faces in the roster, but if you’re having a difficult time putting a character name to all their faces, we’ve got you covered. The Rings of Power is certainly expanding its reach and growing even more ambitious for its second season, if that could be said of a show that has already cost Amazon north of $1 billion to make. But will it be enough to mitigate fan concerns following a middling debut run?
The Witcher: Blood Origin brings back an unexpected character from the main show
Following months of rumors that Joey Batey’s Jaskier would be reprising his role for Blood Origin, the show’s trailer finally confirmed it today by showcasing the bard in action. It’s still unclear how the prequel intends to incorporate Jaskier into a story taking place more than a thousand years before he was born, but we’re willing to bet that he’s going to serve as the so-called omniscient narrative recounting the events of the story to an audience.
Even with Jaskier’s inclusion, fans might find it a bit hard to root for Blood Origin now that they’re disheartened over the news of Henry Cavill’s departure in season 3. Will the Netflix adaptation survive this absurd transition? Only time will tell.
The Last of Us trailer highlights the strained relationship between Joel and Ellie
Joel and Ellie might be one of the most wholesome duos in entertainment history, but the pair didn’t start their journey like that. The latest full-length trailer for HBO’s The Last of Us tries to highlight that in earnest, revealing that the two aren’t going to get along so well when they set out on their journey across the apocalyptic wasteland that is now the United States. There’s also a song accompanying the sneak peek that video game fans will recognize too well, though they might not appreciate what it implies about the story and its eventual destination.