Before the start of Season 4 of the Canadian-Irish historical drama TV series “Vikings” on the History Channel in February this year, the reports were swirling wildly that the fourth season would be the final year for actor Travis Fimmel, who plays King Ragnar Lothbrok in the show.
The speculations then were saying that the actor was planning to concentrate on his acting on the big screen because of the movie “Warcraft” based on the popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game “World of Warcraft.”
However, the movie has already hit theaters this month but Travis Fimmel is still in the cast of “Vikings” and from the looks of it, he is likely to remain in the show until the 20th and final episode of Season 4.
It seems clear that the rumors about Fimmel giving up “Vikings” for “Warcraft” were not true after all but if the TV series stays true with history, Ragnar Lothbrok would eventually meet his demise. Based on history, he died after he was thrown into a pit of snakes by King Aelle of Northumbria.
Employing the same strategy?
Perhaps, because of the past reports that its lead actor is about to leave the show that “Vikings” Season 4 generated good viewership during its first half that the producers are now playing the same formula on another popular cast member of the show.
This time, it’s Clive Standen, who plays Ragnar’s brother Rollo, who is being rumored to leave the show not because he is moving to big screen acting but because he was recently taken in as lead star on the TV series version of “Taken,” popularized in the big screen by Irish actor Liam Neeson.
But the actor spoke in an interview recently to deny the rumors about his supposed impending departure from “Vikings,” notes Movie News Guide.
According to reports, because NBC made a straight-to-series order on “Taken,” Standen might need to take a time off from filming in Ireland for “Vikings.”
But the actor said that he has no plans of leaving “Vikings” not unless Rollo’s time is up. He said that he plans to stay on the show for as long as he is needed or his character has yet to be killed off.
He said that what he currently has on his plate is a happy problem because he is in two TV series. He explained that he will be doing “Taken” until October and he shall then be going to pick up and rejoin the “Vikings” team later on in Season 5. He added that he will be going straight from Toronto to Dublin and he is happy to have such a good problem.
While he will be missing the first few episodes of Season 5, he will be there in the remaining episodes until someone finally kills off his Rollo character.
Rise of Ivar the Boneless
There are also reports saying that one of the sons of King Ragnar Lothbrok, Ivar the Boneless shall be taking the lead in the second half of Season 4 of “Vikings.”
The basis of the reports is the latest trailer of “Vikings” where Ivar was greatly featured as he struggles to become the great leader that he was meant to be, reports Game & Guide.
King Ragnar was also seen in the trailer saying that his son Ivar the Boneless will be known around the world and everyone will fear him.
Based on history, Ivar the Boneless has conquered every land in England apart from Wessex where King Alfred rules. It was also King Alfred who wiped every Vikings out of England according to history.
Thus, speculations are rife that the second half of Season 4 might also feature the war between Ivar the Boneless and King Alfred. Some critics, however, think that such plot is too ahead of the story even from a historical point of view, indicating that it could happen either in Season 5 or Season 6, if there would be one.