Season 4 of the historical drama TV series “Vikings” on the History Channel is set to premiere next year, but speculations are already rife with regards to its possible plotline given the impending departure of actor Travis Fimmel, who plays King Ragnar Lothbrok.
As the King of Kattegat in Denmark and the leader of the Vikings, the actor’s role is quite important in the TV series.
However, when Fimmel decided to leave the show in favor of acting on the big screen, the producers and showrunner were left with no choice but to find a good successor to his role, who can become the next focal point of “Vikings.”
It seems like they have already decided that it is going to be Bjorn Ironside, played by actor Alexander Ludwig. Bjorn is the son of King Ragnar and reports have it that he will succeed his father as the leader of the Vikings.
As Bjorn is still young during the Season 3 finale, reports are saying that there will be a major time jump towards the middle of Season 4 in order to age Bjorn and be more fit to become the leader of the Vikings.
The accelerated storyline shall also help in erasing the possible stigma of the departure of Travis Fimmel through the likely death of his character King Ragnar.
Indicative of the accelerated storyline and time jump in Season 4 of “Vikings,” Alexander Ludwig actually posted on his Instagram account a selfie from the set where he was shown looking a bit old with his first gray hairs as well as graying beard, notes Enstarz.
More importantly, his appearance already resembles that of his father King Ragnar, which only confirms the speculation that indeed there will be some changing of the guards in “Vikings” after the departure of Travis Fimmel.
Confident that show can hold its own
History Channel is optimistic and confident that despite the major changes in “Vikings” with the departure of Fimmel, the groundbreaking series will remain strong, notes the Ecumenical News.
Although the series might have revolved mostly around King Ragnar during its past three seasons, there are also other interesting characters in the TV series that would be able to capture audience’s interest on the show.
Apart from Bjorn, there is also Aslaug, played by Alyssa Sutherland, and Lagertha, played by Katheryn Winnick. Aslaug and Lagertha are two strong women who might be the one prophesized to rule Kattegat.
There is also Rollo, the brother of Ragnar, played by Clive Standen, who would also love to rule over the Vikings.
The official trailer
History Channel has released recently the official trailer of “Vikings” Season 4 and it offered a goldmine of information for fans looking to know what they should expect when the show premieres next year.
The trailer is an eclectic mix of the past and the present, with several Bible verses being narrated by Athelstan, played by George Blagden, which reflect the characters’ lives and their future life’s journey.
In a recent interview, show creator Michael Hirst said that he has always seen “Vikings” without Ragnar, confirming previous reports that the widely popular TV series will have to part ways with its previous main character in the upcoming Season 4.
Hirst added that he thought that it was very important when he realized that Ragnar had many sons and that some of his sons become more famous than he was. With that being said, he cited that he can perfectly envision a world without Ragnar and instead focus on the adventures of his son.