‘The Wheel Of Time’ Key Character Won’t Star In Season 2

Amazon Prime’s The Wheel Of Time won’t have a key character reprise their role in the upcoming season. The debut season of the fantasy drama series premiered in late 2021 promising the start of a bold new fantasy saga. Although the series earned some mixed reactions, it earned enough brownie points to get renewed by the streamer. So, who would be missing from Season 2? Keep reading to find out the details!

**Thom Merrilin Isn’t In The Wheel Of Time Season 2**

Gleeman and former Andor court bard, Thom Merrilin, won’t be a part of the forthcoming season. The actor Alexandre Willaume confirmed that he won’t star in Season 2 in an episode of the podcast, Mighty Dragon. The Danish actor revealed, “I’m not in Season 2, because my character, Thom Merrilin, is not in for Season 2. But he should be in for Season 3, so I hope that [I’ll be back].”

[Source: YouTube]

Amazon Studios hasn’t yet publicly commented on the forthcoming season’s casting decisions. So, Thom’s eventual return most likely remains pure speculation for now. The Wheel Of Time Season 2 omitting Thom is most likely a shock to fans that are familiar with Robert Jordan’s original novels.

Season 2 Will Focus On Seanchan Army’s Invasion

However, this move tracks with the previous comments made by showrunner Rafe Judkins on the show’s future. He stated that the series’ upcoming season will be dominated by invading Seanchan army introduced by fans in Season 1’s finale. So, it most likely pulls away from the supporting casts like Thom. He explained, “The Seanchan kind of come in and sideswipe everything in the show, just as much s they did in the books. It’s a really cool storytelling device that Robert Jordan created.”

[Source: YouTube]

Another reason Tom Merrilin is sitting out the next batch of episodes is due to the addition of several key supporting characters in the cast. As per CBR.com, Ayoola Smart will be cast in the pivotal role of Aviendha alongside Julian Lewis Jones cast as Bayle Domon. Additionally, Hayley Mills has also been locked in for the upcoming season. Although her role in the series hasn’t yet been confirmed, she recently listed the series among the acting credits on her CV.

The Wheel Of Time Season 2 Will Have Longer Episodes

The arrival of the Seanchan army along with the inclusion of new faces confirms that Season 2 episodes will run longer than Season 1. Judkins has also announced that the upcoming season will also have eight episodes like its predecessor. However, the average runtime per episode will be higher. The debut season’s episodes clocked in at between 54 and 60 minutes. So, it is guaranteed that Season 2’s episodes will have at least an hour-long runtime.