Today's a Wednesday, and we've got some big Wheel of Time news for you to start your day. Yes, if you're one of those perpetually online Wheel of Time fans, the hallowed "#WoTWednesdays," when Prime Video drops exciting updates or behind-the-scenes looks at the series, are back! The Wheel of Time season 3 premieres on March 13, which is just around the corner. Prime Video clearly want us to know it is time to start getting hyped.
To wit, today the studio announced five new cast members who are joining The Wheel of Time for its third season, along with the characters they're playing. This is the third major casting announcement so far for season 3, following Shohreh Aghdashloo as the Aes Sedai Elaida and the royal family of Andor.
Season 3 will largely be adapting Robert Jordan's novel The Shadow Rising, which vastly expands the cast of The Wheel of Time story as prophesied hero Rand al'Thor (Josha Stradowski) goes on a journey deep into the desert homeland of the Aiel people to win their aid in his fight against the Dark One. These new castings include several key Aiel characters, as well as a few others that are bound to put fans of the book series over the moon.
Isabella Bucceri as Faile Bashere
Prime Video's press release describes Faile as "a Saldean 'Hunter of the Horn,' whose efforts to locate a treasured relic have led her to the Two Rivers." Bucceri is an Australian actor who previously appeared in a few feature films (Finally Me, Everything in Between, and Threshold), but The Wheel of Time is her first major television credit.
A prominent plotline we're expecting to see in The Wheel of Time season 3 revolves around Perrin Aybara's (Marcus Rutherford) return to the Two Rivers, the idyllic homeland of our main group of characters where the story first began. Faile and Perin will get to know each other pretty well during that journey; we even got a glimpse of them together in the teaser trailer for season 3.
I can't understate what a major character Faile is in The Wheel of Time. I don't know how much we'll see Bucceri this season, but if the show hews relatively close to the storyline of the books, I'd expect her to become a lead down the line.
Nukâka Coster-Waldau as Bair
Next we have Nukâka Coster-Waldau as Bair, a crucial Aiel character and the "eldest Wise One." Her character description gives us a few cultural tidbits about the Aiel, which all come into play next season. Bair is "the most respected member of the Taardad Aiel. Her authority and wisdom are held in higher regard even than that of the Clan Chief. Along with being able to channel the One Power, she has access to an even more mystical ability."
An even more mystical ability, you say? Let's not spoil it here, but I love that this part of Bair's character — which also appears in The Shadow Rising — is being frontloaded in the press release. Color me excited!
I also need to point out the mention of the Taardad Aiel, because we're going to be meeting a few more of them. The Aiel are split into different clans, each of which have their own particular nuances. The Taardad Aiel is the clan Rand spends the most time with in The Shadow Rising, and based on these castings, that looks to be the same in the show.
Nukaka-Waldau is a Danish-Greenlandic actor who previously appeared in the thriller series Thin Ice as well as film Anori. She's also appeared in numerous stage productions. Fun fact: she also happens to be the wife of Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who played Jamie Lannister in Game of Thrones.
Salóme Gunnarsdóttir as Melaine
Our next casting is Salóme Gunnarsdóttir as Melaine, "a Wise One of the Taardad Aiel." In Aiel culture, the Wise Ones are a group of powerful women who provide counsel, healing, and other services of wisdom to their clans. Think of them as the Aiel's version of the Aes Sedai, or the Women's Circle from Emmond's Field.
Like the Aes Sedai, many Wise Ones can channel the One Power. But unlike the Aes Sedai, that is not a requirement for joining them, and there are plenty who have no access to the One Power but nonetheless fill roles as respected Wise Ones. Melaine is one such character: "Despite being able to channel, she is able to access a more mystical power."
Again we get teases about a "mystical power." I love it, and I will not spoil it here, but man is this press release getting me excited for one particular element of season 3.
However, I do need to point out one thing I find interesting: it sounds like the show is reversing some elements of Bair and Melaine's characters, at least where the magic is concerned. In Jordan's novels, Bair cannot channel but has the "mystical power" described here; Melaine can channel, as well as use the other mystical power. Melaine is also part of a different Aiel clan, the Jhirad; here she's Taardad. The show is making some changes to these two, but they sound like they're probably geared toward making things a little simpler to understand for viewers as they're introduced to Aiel culture.
Gunnarsdóttir is an Icelandic actor who has appeared in a ton of television, movies, and stage productions, including The Lazarus Project, The Reunion, Pennyworth, Knightfall, Legends, The Lava Field, and Stelpurnar 5.
Björn Landberg as Rhuarc
The lone male actor in this round of castings is Björn Landberg, who plays Rhuarc in The Wheel of Time season 3. Rhuarc is "the well-respected Clan Chief of the Taardad Aiel," and another character I imagine we'll be seeing plenty of in season 3.
The description for Rhuarc gives us another interesting bit of Aiel lore, and hints at some things this man may have in common with Rand al"thor: "Having passed the trial of Rhuidean to become Chief, he is one of the few Aiel that knows what lies within the fog, though he is forbidden to speak of it."
As we saw in the trailer, Rand will travel this season to the fog-shrouded city of Rhuidean, which has been long abandoned by the Aiel. This rite is a trial that all prospected Aiel chiefs must face. Visions play a large part in it...but what do those visions reveal? Only two months until season 3 airs and we get to find out!
Landberg is a German actor with a winding career behind him; he came up as a pop music artist, which eventually led him into performing musical roles like Gaston in a Berlin production of Beauty and the Beast, and the gorilla Kerchak in a Hamburg production of Tarzan. He's also done voice dubbing for numerous localizations of films and movies, as well as released albums, hosted podcasts, and founded his own music label. Our Rhuarc is multi-talented, and now I'm kind of wondering if we're going to see him sing in season 3.
Synnøve Macody Lund as Melindhra
The last casting for this #WoTWednesday is Synnøve Macody Lund as Melindhra, "a Malkieri survivor who was taken in and raised by the Taardad Aiel." In case you've forgotten, Malkier is the fallen Borderland nation that Lan (Daniel Henney) is from. It fell when he was still a baby, and there were practically no survivors.
Or at least, we thought there were no survivors. So far Lan is the lone Malkieri we've met in The Wheel of Time. How did Melindhra make it out when the Blight took the kingdom? And how did she end up with the Taardad Aiel? I have no doubt these questions will be answered in season 3.
Macody Lund is a Norwegian actor, journalist, and director who's appeared in movies like The Girl in the Spider's Web (the sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Riviera, and Everybody Loves Diamonds. She was also a series regular on Netflix's Ragnarok. And she played fan-favorite character Cecilia Pederson in Saw X, the latest entry in the long-running horror franchise.
And that wraps up our casting announcement for this #WoTWednesday. As a total aside, I just need to point out that every one of these actors hails from a different country. One thing I love about The Wheel of Time is how much it feels like a global series, and seeing this sort of diversity in its on-screen talent really drives that home.
There's plenty of juicy information in there to get us theorizing about these characters for the next two months until The Wheel of Time season 3 premieres on March 13. Who are you most excited to see on screen? Let us know in the comments!
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