The Witcher prequel series casts a major villain from The Witcher 3

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
(Image credit: CD Projekt)

The Witcher: Blood Origin will feature none other than Eredin Bréacc Glas, the primary antagonist of The Witcher 3, a new report claims.

The new report comes from Redanian Intelligence, a fan-run website that's notably well-connected to developments surrounding Netflix's series. The outlet reports that Eredin will be portrayed in the prequel series on Netflix by Australian actor Jacob Collins-Levy, who you might have also seen recently in another Netflix production, Young Wallander.

The report from Redanian Intelligence also highlights that pre-production for The Witcher: Blood Origin is apparently now commencing at Arborfield Studios in the UK. This pre-production news comes off the back of two casting announcements over the past few months: Jodie Turner-Smith exiting the series, and Vikings actor Laurence O’Fuarain signing on for the prequel. Turner-Smith was set to play an elite warrior blessed with the voice of a goddess, while O'Fuarain will play a member of a fearsome warrior clan.

However, Redanian Intelligence claims that Collins-Levy is actually the second actor set to portray Eredin, King of the Wild Hunt. The outlet claims that a few weeks ago, they managed to confirm that Eredin would feature in the forthcoming second season of the Henry Cavill-led Witcher series on Netflix, and would be portrayed by Sam Hazeldine. 

It's worth remembering that The Witcher: Blood Origin is set over 1,000 years before the adventures of Henry Cavill's Geralt of Rivia, however. It's entirely possible that a different actor might have been chosen for the prequel series to portray a far younger Eredin, and additionally, Redanian Intelligence claims that Hazeldine's version of Eredin will be something akin to a cameo, while Collins-Levy's Eredin will feature as a main character of the prequel series.

For those that aren't familiar with the character himself, Eredin Bréacc Glas is the primary villain of 2015's The Witcher 3, the latest game in the series from developer CD Projekt Red. As the King of the Wild Hunt, a ferocious and feared band of warriors from a race of Elves, Eredin relentlessly hunted Ciri in order to gain control of her magical powers, and use them for his nefarious intentions. Previously, leaked behind-the-scenes shots of the second season appeared to confirm that the Wild Hunt would be entering the foray.

Right now, we're waiting on news of a firm release date for The Witcher Season 2. Production of the second season officially wrapped up earlier last month on April 1, and right now, it would seem that the new season is gearing up to release near the end of 2021, a release window that was previously confirmed by showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich.

In the meantime, you can head over to our guide on the best Netflix shows while you wait for Geralt's adventure to resume.

Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.