The fourth season of the historical drama TV series “Vikings” on the History Channel is in for a lot of changes and actor Alexander Ludwig, who plays Bjorn Ironside, gave fans one major thing to look forward to when the show premieres next year.
Ludwig recently snapped a photo of his character and shared it on his Instagram account. Wearing his Bjorn Ironside costume, the 23-year-old actor sported a gray beard which is far from his youthful Viking look. The show’s official Instagram account also reposted the photo.
According to Venture Capital Post, speculations are running wild that Bjorn will be the one to lead the people of Denmark this season.
This seems like a plausible plot as his look is noticeably similar to Travis Fimmel’s King Ragnar Lothbrok. Ludwig’s caption on the photo hints that filming for the fourth season has already commenced.
Alexander is also gearing up for a bigger role on the Canadian-Irish series as he will be donning a father role. Show creator Michael Hirst said during the San Diego ComicCon 2015 in July that the fourth season will involve a massive time jump.
He did not elaborate on the specific amount of time passing on the TV show, but with Ludwig’s appearance on his recent post and his father role, it indicates that the time jump could be a long one.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Hirst teases that the time jump will allow viewers to realize that the journey back home took a little longer than expected and that it hasn’t been an easy run across to Paris.
Meanwhile, the fourth season of the TV series will finally answer questions if King Ragnar Lothbok will die or not.
The show has released its trailer a few months ago, but there was a little or no clue at all whether the King of the Northmen will survive his latest raid of Paris.
Some fans say that Ragnar will finally meet his demise this season and the photo of Ludwig’s older and more matured look just proves that Bjorn will be succeeding his father’s throne.
Hirst has stated in earlier reports that the show could live without Ragnar, who in the last season has been very ill. The executive producer also hinted that Fimmel’s character will finally make its exit this season.
The series creator also says that the fourth season is the time for other characters to step up specifically pertaining to Ludwig’s Bjorn and the other sons of Ragnar. Hirst adds that he had always envisioned the show going on without Ragnar on it.
It was very important that when he started crafting the series, Ragnar had many sons and some of his sons became more famous than him so the showrunner was intent on highlighting his sons’ adventures, The Hollywood Reporter states.
Crossmap reports that the legendary Viking’s death has been written in the upcoming season. Ragnar was hovering between life and death in season three. The cast and crew have also been hinting the character’s fate as soon as the season ended last April.
During the Season 3 finale, the French stood by their promise to pay gold and silver to the Vikings, but they showed no signs of returning home. Ragnar’s christening also shocked many people.
The King of Denmark was badly wounded and believed to be dead, leaving his son, Bjorn, in charge. His corpse was placed in a wooden coffin ready to be escorted to the gate of Paris when he suddenly jumps out of it, pretty much alive.
He took Princess Gisla, played by Morgane Polanski, as a hostage forcing the guards to open the gates and his fellow Vikings to raid the city. The season ended with Ragnar telling Gustaf Skarsgard’s Floki that he is Athelstan’s killer.