Thue Rasmussen, who was cast to play the role of Eskel in Season 2 of Netflix’s The Witcher, has announced his departure from the show. Rasmussen cited scheduling conflicts stemming from Covid-19 as the reason behind his “heartbreaking” decision.
Rasmussen has now been replaced by Swiss actor Basil Eidenbenz (Victoria).
In a note on Instagram, Rasmussen thanked fans for their support and said that he will now watch The Witcher as a “fanboy.” The note reads:
Sadly, due to the rescheduling because of Covid-19, I will not be portraying Eskel in The Witcher. It’s heartbreaking, of course, but I mostly feel happy and grateful for the days I got to spend on set earlier this year. Everyone was extremely engaged and passionate about the project and it was a truly inspiring experience.
A heartfelt thank you to all the fans who wrote me lovely, encouraging messages.
I wish everyone on the show best of luck with the rest of the production. I’m sure Season 2 will be absolutely amazing and now I get to watch it as a fanboy instead of as a Witcher.
Eskel is a Witcher from the School of the Wolf who was taught by Master Vesemir at Kaer Morhen. In 1264, he agreed to train Ciri. The character made an appearance in CD Projekt RED’s The Witcher III: Wild Hunt.
Following a pause in filming due to the pandemic, The Witcher Season 2 recently re-entered production and is scheduled for release sometime in 2021. A release date has yet to be announced.
[Source: IGN]