Casting 6 Missing Arthurian Characters For The Winter King Season 2

Warning: Major spoilers for The Winter King season 1 and The Warlord Chronicles novels below!

The Winter King season 2 will be adding more characters from the legend of King Arthur, but who should play them? Across movies, TV, books, video games and much more, there have been endless reinventions of Arthurian legend. From those that lean heavily into the magical side (Excalibur, BBC’s Merlin) to those that tried a grittier approach (the Clive Owen-fronted King Arthur). Bernard Cornwell’s The Warlord Chronicles novel trilogy – consisting of The Winter King, Enemy of God and Excalibur – also took a more down-to-earth approach.

The result was an acclaimed saga that felt ripe for a movie or TV adaptation. The Winter King season 1 often differed from the book, dropping key characters and storylines in favor of focusing on Arthur’s struggles as the new ruler of Dumnonia. Assuming The Winter King season 2 goes ahead, it can always return to the plotlines that were trimmed the first time around, while incorporating elements from Cornwell’s sequel novels. It will also introduce some key Arthurian figures, which is an opportunity to inject the MGM+ drama with more star power.

6 Lancelot – Kit Harington

Known for Game of Thrones, Eternals, Pompeii, Gunpowder

The Winter King cast some familiar faces like Eddie Marsan, but it avoided the Game of Thrones approach of chasing after more recognizable thespians like Sean Bean or Charles Dance. Winter King can lean into the Game of Thrones comparisons for season 2 by casting Jon Snow himself Kit Harington as Lancelot. The latter was the biggest character omission from Cornwell’s novel, who in contrast to his typical portrayal as Arthur’s loyal friend is depicted as vain, ambitious and somewhat cowardly.

Harington would be a great choice as Lancelot because audiences have a preconceived notion of the actor as a heroic figure, owing to his role as Snow and projects like Pompeii. That image can be weaponized for Lancelot, as audiences unfamiliar with the books would be expecting a character closer to the legends – only to be shocked when he turns out to be more devious. It would also give Harington a chance to break away from typecasting and play a nastier character.

5 Galahad – Fionn Whitehead

Known for Dunkirk, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, Great Expectations, Inside No.9

Another of Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table missing from season 1 is Galahad. Most versions of the myth make Galahad Lancelot’s son, and he famously quests for The Holy Grail. In Cornwell’s reinvention, Galahad became the half-brother of Lancelot, but whereas his sibling is a vainglorious brat who is instantly despised by Derfel, he still becomes close friends with Galahad. In the first novel, Derfel spends many years in Benoic/France, serving King Ban at Arthur’s behest.

Ban is the father of Lancelot and Galahad, with Derfel and Galahad growing close as they fight battles together. When Ban is defeated and Derfel returns to Dumnonia, Galahad comes with him. Dunkirk star Fionn Whitehead would be a solid choice for Winter King’s Galahad, as he’s a rising star who has yet to find the perfect breakout role. In Galahad, he would also get to play a heroic counterpoint to Lancelot and show off his action skills too.

4 King Ban – Vincent Cassel

Known for La Haine, Brotherhood of the Wolf, Black Swan, Ocean’s Twelve

King Ban was mentioned briefly in the TV adaptation, but he played a more prominent role in the source material. Ban is a noble figure who quickly warms to Derfel after Arthur sends him to Benoic. This is where Ban shows the young warrior his vast library at Ynys Trebes, with the King himself being very well-read. Unlike Arthur, Ban’s not ideally equipped to defend his lands against the Frankish barbarians invading them.

Time will tell if Winter King season 2 will explore Derfel’s French misadventures, but if it does, it’s a great chance to get a performer with real gravitas in there. On that front, Vincent Cassel could sell both the intellect and the insecurity of King Ban. It would also give the endlessly versatile French performer a chance to play his age and chew some scenery while he’s at it.

3 Cuneglas – Iwan Rheon

Known for Game of Thrones, Inhumans, Misfits, The Dirt

One of the highlights of season 1 was the performance of Welsh actor Aneirin Hughes as King Gorfydd. The ruler of Powys could be both warm and ruthless, and Arthur may have seen him as the father figure he never had. In the latter half of the series, Arthur tries to arrange a union between Dumnonia and Powys by marrying Gorfydd’s daughter Ceinwyn (Emily John), which he later breaks off by running away and marrying her best friend Guinevere (Jordan Alexandra) instead. In the book, this led to war between Powys and Dumnonia, but the television adaptation cut this out, alongside the Arthurian character of Cuneglas.

In Cornwell’s source text, Cuneglas is reframed as Goryfdd’s son, and if the character appears on the show, it could be an opportunity for another Game of Thrones crossover. Iwan Rheon would be a great Cuneglas, but unlike his Game of Thrones character Ramsay, Cuneglas proves an honorable figure. He stands by his father during the civil war, but once Goryfdd is defeated, he swears allegiance to Dumnonia and Arthur. He returns for the sequel novels too.

2 Valerin – Liam Garrigan

Known for Transformers: The Last Knight, Strike Back, 24: Live Another Day, Once Upon a Time

A somewhat minor player in the legends, the King of the Tangled Wood Valerin is known for kidnapping Guinevere and claiming the right to marry her. Arthur’s men later rescue her while Valerin is killed in the process. In The Winter King novel, Valerin is encountered by Derfel, and claims he was betrothed to Guinevere before she ran off with Arthur; after a fight, Derfel kills Valerin but finds proof he was telling the truth about Guinevere, which is an early sign of her eventual betrayal of Arthur.

Valerin is likely to be a guest role if he appears in the series, though his part could be expanded beyond Cornwell’s words. British actor Liam Garrigan could bring weight to the role, and his casting could also serve a meta element. Garrigan is known for having played King Arthur on both fantasy series Once Upon a Time and Transformers: The Last Knight. With Winter King, he could rack up another Arthurian credit, even if he’s not playing the part himself.

1 Queen Igraine – Rosamund Pike

Known for Gone Girl, The Wheel of Time, Jack Reacher, Die Another Day

Of all the characters missing from The Winter King season 1, Queen Igraine is the one who is least likely to appear in a future series. MGM+’s adaptation has completely dropped The Warlord Chronicles framing device where old Derfel – who has become a monk – is recounting his adventures with Arthur before they’re lost to time. He’s doing this at the insistence of Queen Igraine, who in most King Arthur legends, is actually Arthur’s mother. If the queen appears in the series, then Rosamund Pike could deliver Igraine’s iciness and sense of authority. Still, it’s tricky to see how the character could appear given the direction the story is taking.