Hollywood has a huge year coming in 2016, with titles like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Captain America: Civil War, a new Star Wars movie, and much more hitting theaters – but before all those big blockbusters hit, we will have Duncan Jones’ Warcraft. After years of development, the epic video game adaptation has been scheduled for release on March 11, 2016 – which surely has gamers around the world glowing with glee. And while there’s still a great deal of time to wait before the film hits theaters, this weekend we learned a ton of new details about the movie that should get fans very excited.
The annual Blizzcon was held down in Anaheim, California these past few days, and during a presentation about the upcoming Warcraft movie (via SlashFilm), it was revealed who the fantastic actors in the movie’s cast will be playing. We’ve broken it all down for you below, so read on!
Dominic Cooper is King Llane Wrynn
Dominic Cooper is a pretty classy, awesome dude playing the young Howard Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Warcraft will be bumping him up to royalty. Playing the leader of the city of Stormwind, Cooper will be playing the brave King Llane Wrynn – who also wears some pretty kick ass armor and carries a big sword.
Travis Fimmel as Anduin Lothar
As one of the stars of Vikings, Travis Fimmel is definitely no stranger to wielding huge weapons and getting muddy and bloody on a battlefield – which should allow him to fit into Warcraft quite easily. As Anduin Lothar, he is the central protagonist on the Alliance side and a brave warrior who has made incredible sacrifices for the good of the people of Azeroth.
Ben Foster is Medivh "The Guardian"
While Ben Foster is best known for his independent and character work, he does have a history of blockbuster roles – the most notable being X-Men: The Last Stand - and he will be returning to that world in Duncan Jones’ Warcraft. As Medivh, a.k.a. The Last Guardian, he is a part of an ancient line that has long been fighting off the forces of the Burning Legion, and possesses great power as a wizard/sorcerer.
Robert Kazinsky is Orgrim
To introduce us to the Orc side of things we have Robert Kazinsky as Orgrim, a warrior who is destined to wield a great weapon known as the Doomhammer, Kazinsky is perhaps best known for his TV work, last year starring in a handful of episodes of True Blood, but those of you who are fans of Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim will remember him as Chuck Hansen, one of the two Australian Jaeger pilots.
Toby Kebbell is Durotan
Toby Kebbell displayed incredible skill working with performance capture this past summer playing the villainous Koba in Matt Reeves’ Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and he is once again wearing grey pajamas and ping pong balls in Duncan Jones’ Warcraft. But he’s not just playing any old Orc in the movie – he’s playing Durotan, the Chieftain and leader of the Frostwolf Clan. Orgrim serves by his side as his right-hand man.
Paula Patton is Garona
The beautiful Paula Patton will also be going the performance-capture route in Warcraft playing Garona, a half Orc warrior who is emotionally pulled between two different opposing sides, and must determine where her loyalties lie. The actress has her fair share of ass kicking experience having starred alongside Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol - and one can imagine those skills came in rather useful for this new film.
Clancy Brown is Blackhand "The Destroyer "
A character nicknamed The Destroyer is going to need to look and sound like he has zero issue ever ripping his opponents apart, and Duncan Jones has made a great choice bringing Clancy Brown into the fold. Blackhand is one of the greatest warriors on the orc side, and we can probably expect that he will be one of the most intimidating characters in Warcraft. Brown not only brings a good deal of height to the part – standing a few inches over six feet – but also a booming, deep voice that should make both enemies and movie-goers pee themselves a little.
Ruth Negga is Lady Taria
Like Dominic Cooper, Ruth Negga is another actor making their way from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the world of Warcraft - but while Howard Stark and Raina from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. have never been on screen together, the two stars will be married in the new movie. In Duncan Jones’ blockbuster, Negga will be playing Lady Taria, the Queen of Stormwind and King Llane Wrynn’s most trusted ally.
Daniel Wu is Gul’dan
Characters like Durotan and Ogrim certainly sit in positions of power within orc society, but none are above Gul’dan, the supreme leader of the orcs. He was the first orcish warlock, and has become consumed with a dark magic that even he cannot fully control. Bringing the character to life will be Daniel Wu, whose recent credits include the sci-fi indie Europa Report and RZA’s The Man with the Iron Fists.
Ben Schnetzer is Khadgar
Of the Warcraft cast members mentioned here, Ben Schnetzer has perhaps the shortest resume – but he is coming off of a performance in the critically-beloved historical drama Pride. In Duncan Jones’ movie, he will play the young Khadgar, a magic-wielding mage who has been described as being on a "daring quest for truth.
