The Wheel of Time actor Daniel Henney has released a six-second clip revealing his character, al’Lan Mandragoran. The short video begins and ends with a voiceover against a black screen, announcing: “You think you know this world. You know nothing.” Briefly, Mandragoran appears on screen with intensity and swings his blade. The footage comes about a month after the equally short reveal of Rosamund Pike as Moiraine Damodred, continuing the production’s trend of hyper-short character reveals.
In The Wheel of Time book series, Mandragoran is the sole survivor of the kingdom of Malkier’s royal line and the uncrowned king of the region. He works closely alongside Moiraine in a bodyguard-type role, which means fans will see plenty of screen time together for Henney and Pike. The two actors will be joined by series regulars Madeleine Madden, Marcus Rutherford, Barney Harris, Zoe Robins and Joshua Stradowski.
Rafe Judkins has taken on the behemoth task of adapting Robert Jordan’s iconic The Wheel of Time for television and will also act as showrunner. The series tells the story of Rand al’Thor, an unassuming boy from a sleepy farm town who, with the help of Moiraine and a large cast of characters, discovers there is more to him — and this world — than he knows.
A cornerstone of modern fantasy, The Wheel of Time marks a crucial era and evolution within the genre. Boasting a world full of magic, bold characters, and complex and fleshed-out cultures, The Wheel of Time television series has the potential to propel the fantasy genre past the constant Game of Thrones comparisons. Jordan’s world is far more fantastical and magic-filled than that of George R.R. Martin, and it will be interesting to see how audiences will respond after becoming accustomed to Martin’s comparatively magic-less world.
Amazon has yet to announce a release date for The Wheel of Time. Check out the first look at Henney as al’Lan Mandragoran below.