The Last Kingdom cast has brought the intense battles between Anglo-Saxons and Vikings to life in gripping style for eight years, but it’s likely there will be many stars missing from the upcoming film.
From the moment it was announced that there wouldn’t be a The Last Kingdom season 6, it was clear that the show’s fifth season would be one to remember. Adapted from Bernard Cornwell’s book series following Uhtred of Bebbanburg in Anglo-Saxon times, there’s so much rich detail and historically-inspired drama to keep you hooked. Sadly, season 5 brought The Last Kingdom’s TV run to an end, though with a new film currently being made, the journey isn’t over quite yet.
But which members of The Last Kingdom cast could return for the Seven Kings Must Die movie? We reveal who’s expected to appear—and whose return would be a major surprise after season 5…
*Warning: major The Last Kingdom season 5 spoilers ahead!*
The Last Kingdom Uhtred and Aldhelm.
Which Last Kingdom cast members could return for Seven Kings Must Die?
Seven Kings Must Die cast so far:
- Uhtred—Alexander Dreymon
If there’s one The Last Kingdom cast member that’s definitely returning for Seven Kings Must Die it’s Alexander Dreymon. The star is arguably the most prominent of The Last Kingdom actors, playing Uhtred of Bebbanburg from its very first episode way back in 2015 and the warrior lived to fight another day after the emotional rollercoaster that was The Last Kingdom season 5.
But that’s not the only very strong hint that’s been given that Uhtred will be back with a vengeance in The Last Kingdom film. In January 2022, The Last Kingdom’s official Twitter account shared an intriguing video of Alexander on set, captioning the reveal, “We have officially started filming Seven Kings Must Die. Now that is special”.
We have officially started filming Seven Kings Must Die. Now that is special…#TheLastKingdom pic.twitter.com/rQxyLGWJyEJanuary 31, 2022
And the Uhtred actor isn’t the only The Last Kingdom cast member to appear in the video. His fellow cast member Arnas Fedaravicius, who plays the warrior’s ally Sihtric, also appears in the clip. Of course, he may have just been visiting the Seven Kings Must Die set, but there’ll be many Sihtric fans hoping this means he’ll also be a featured character in The Last Kingdom film.
When it comes to other possible returning cast members, things are a little more challenging to decipher. The full Seven Kings Must Die cast hasn’t yet been confirmed by Netflix or the production company, Carnival.
It’s thought this could be to avoid spoiling the fates of many regular characters by the end of The Last Kingdoms season 5.
The Last Kingdom Uhtred.
However, based on the many twists and turns of season 5, it seems there could be several more major cast members returning for The Last Kingdom film. Given that it’s called Seven Kings Must Die, it stands to reason they’ll be more than a few monarchs making their presence felt in the movie.
And with King Constantine of Scotland introduced in The Last Kingdom season 5 and making it through to the end, it seems possible that his actor Rod Hallett could be back. So could Harry Gilby as historic Anglo-Saxon King Æthelstan, Timothy Innes as King Edward the Elder and Ewan Horrocks as Edward’s son Ælfweard.
The Last Kingdom Æthelstan and Ælswith.
Fans could also potentially see the return of other surviving The Last Kingdom characters, including Finan played by Mark Rowley, Ælswith played by Eliza Butterworth, Stiorra played by Ruby Hartley and Ælfwynn played by fellow The Last Kingdom cast member Phia Saban. Sadly we won’t know until an official announcement is made whether they will indeed be back alongside Alexander Dreymon in Seven Kings Must Die.
But if even a few of these characters are back for the movie, it looks like fans are in for some spectacular storytelling.
Which Last Kingdom cast members won’t be back for the film?
Just like in more light-hearted historical dramas like the upcoming Downton Abbey sequel and Julian Fellowes’ The Gilded Age, we all have our favorite The Last Kingdom characters. But sadly, there are some long term cast members who aren’t expected to be back for Seven Kings Must Die.
In a devastating blow in The Last Kingdom season 5 fans saw regular cast member Emily Cox’s character Brida meet her end. Whilst viewers might have been terrified that Uhtred would be the one to kill Brida after their final confrontation, it was actually Uhtred’s daughter Stiorra that fired the arrow that claimed Brida’s life.
The Last Kingdom Stiorra and Sigtryggr.
And Emily wasn’t the only The Last Kingdom cast member to bow out in shocking style in season 5. Lady of the Mercians and Uhtred’s love interest Æthelflæd (played by Millie Brady) died in the final season, as did his ally Osferth (Ewan Mitchell). Whilst Uhtred killed his own son-in-law Sigtryggr (Eysteinn Sigurðarson) on his request so that he is still able to enter Valhalla as a warrior after being captured by King Edward.
Uhtred’s treacherous cousin Wihtgar (Ossian Perrett) and the scheming Æthelhelm (Adrian Schiller) also died in The Last Kingdom season 5, meaning their actors are unlikely to return.
However, as all movie and TV lovers know and as was brilliantly used to build to the Our House ending in ITV’s recent adaptation, there’s always flashbacks! There’s nothing quite like a flashback to fill in gaps, provide emotional moments and pay tribute to the characters and plotlines that have gone before.
The Last Kingdom Æthelflæd and Uhtred.
With the stakes high in The Last Kingdom season 5, the movie is likely not to let up on the drama. This means flashbacks could be used to help Uhtred and the other characters reflect on what’s gone before and lead them in their new plotlines.
Meanwhile, The Last Kingdom executive producer Nigel Marchant revealed to RadioTimes.com that Seven Kings Must Die is more of a “standalone” epilogue than a direct sequel.
"Season 5 does feel like the end of the TV series, and the movie will be much more standalone," he explained. "It’ll be an extra treat for the fans of the TV series, but you could also watch it even if you’ve never seen the TV show."
This might potentially mean that The Last Kingdom film will generally keep to the here-and-now rather than reflecting on past events. Though there’ll no doubt be fans hoping to see at least a brief glimpse of some past characters as a special nod to the long-term fans.
How to watch The Last Kingdom
If you’re already missing your favorite former The Last Kingdom cast members or just want to revisit all the action and betrayals of season 5, then Netflix is the place to head. The Last Kingdom season 1-5 are all available to watch on Netflix for viewers in the US and UK, as well as several other countries around the world.
But if you’re abroad and find yourself unable to watch The Last Kingdom due to any regional restrictions then you can use a VPN to continue watching this hit drama.
Our sister site, TechRadar, has tested all of the major VPN services and they rate ExpressVPN as the absolute best.
They say, “It’s compatible with all of your devices, supports most streaming services, and ranks among the fastest. You can even install it on devices like an Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox, and PlayStation. So for a one-stop-shop, you can’t go wrong with Express.”
Though it's not yet known when Seven Kings Must Die will be released as fans wait for The Last Kingdom film, there's plenty of time to enjoy all the scheming, romance and iconic battle scenes of season 1-5.
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