Joss Whedon casts Outlander star in his new HBO show

Game of Thrones is ending, but HBO is lining up a ton of genre shows to replace the hole it will leave in viewers’ hearts and schedules. There’s the Game of Thrones prequel series, of course, plus a series based on Alan Moore’s Watchmen, and a show from J.J. Abrams called Demimonde, plus a sci-fi comedy from Veep creator Armando Iannucci. HBO is going all genre, all the time!

And then there’s The Nevers, a drama about a group of Victorian-era women “who find themselves with unusual abilities, relentless enemies and a mission that might change the world.” It comes from the mind of Joss Whedon, the guy behind cult favorites like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly and world-stomping mega-hits like the first two Avengers movies. Whedon’s image has taken a hit in recent years following allegations of cheating from ex-wife Kai Cole, but he’s still a big name, and people like me who grew up loving Buffy can’t help but be curious about what he might do back in the showrunner chair. Whedon has called The Nevers “maybe the most ambitious narrative I’ve created.”

And now, The Hollywood Reporter has it that Whedon has cast Laura Donnelly (who plays Jenny Fraser, sister to main character Jamie Fraser, on Showtime’s Outlander) as the lead character, Amalia True. “Laura Donnelly has charisma, wisdom and an anarchic precision that not only captures Amalia, but defines her,” said Whedon. “She’s fierce and she’s funny — and I need both for the journey ahead.”

THR describes Amalia as “the most reckless, impulsive, emotionally damaged hero of her time. A menace to stuffy Victorian society, she would die for the cause and kill for a drink.”

Sounds like a fun enough role. We don’t know when The Nevers will debut, but it’s been ordered straight to series, meaning Whedon doesn’t have to go to the trouble of making a pilot and waiting for approval, so it’ll be along sooner or later.

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