Who's playing who in Alex Garland's live-action movie?

A24 and Alex Garland’s live-action adaptation of Elden Ring finally has a release date and a confirmed cast. But the recent announcement that actors Kit Connor, Ben Whishaw, Cailee Spaeny, and Nick Offerman are starring in the adaptation of FromSoftware’s hit video game leaves fans with a big question: Who are they playing?

Garland’s film is still nearly two years away, and we know very little about what kind of story the Elden Ring movie will tell. We don’t know if Garland will be directly adapting the events of the game or the story of another Tarnished who journeys to the Lands Between. Maybe the movie’s just about Elden Lord family drama at a high level. It’s also unclear whether the announced cast will be playing live-action humanoid roles or embodying computer-generated characters; Elden Ring is full of menacing dragons, lovable snake people, and terrifying giants like Morgott, The Omen King and Mohg, Lord of Blood, after all.

But we have some theories about which Elden Ring actors are playing which Elden Ring game characters. Here are our best bets, gut instincts, and soon-to-be-proven-wrong guesses.

Kit Connor as Vyke, or an unnamed Tarnished

Heartstopper and Warfare star Kit Connor is set to lead Alex Garland’s Elden Ring adaptation, so we can assume he’ll probably play the role of a Tarnished hero. Connor’s character could be an unnamed Tarnished or Elden Ring cover boy Vyke, a knight who sought to become the world’s new Elden Lord, prior to the events that players experience in the game. Vyke appears as an enemy in Elden Ring, but his story is about a hero who ultimately sacrifices himself and fails to achieve Elden Lord status. His tragic story seems ripe for adaptation.

Ben Whishaw as Sorcerer Rogier

Ben Whishaw may be best known for his portrayal as Q in the Daniel Craig James Bond movies, but a wider audience will know his voice from the live-action Paddington films. Whishaw’s lithe build and calming voice make him a good fit for a variety of Elden Ring characters — I could see him as Radagon, for example, depending on how ripped Whishaw can get — but if there’s a member of the Roundtable Hold that makes sense, it’s Sorcerer Rogier, the friendly fellow Tarnished who’s fighting days are largely behind him.

Cailee Spaeny as Melina, or a new Maiden

Conventional wisdom seems to be that if you’re casting Cailee Spaeny in a blockbuster fantasy film, you’re going to put her in a major role. Melina, the Kindling Maiden who follows the player throughout Elden Ring certainly fits the bill. But if Garland’s movie focuses on a named character like Vyke, perhaps Spaeny will portray his unnamed maiden. After all, we don’t know what the story of Garland’s Elden Ring movie will be yet, but fulfilling the role of an all-important maiden seems like a safe bet. No way would Garland go maidenless!

Tom Burke as Blaidd

Tom Burke’s best known for his roles as Praetorian Jack in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and Orson Welles in David Fincher’s Mank. He’s got the quiet reserve of a warrior like Blaidd, even though casting him in that role would realistically hide him behind a wolf mask. It’s unclear how good Burke’s wolf howl is, but fan-favorite Blaidd would be a great inclusion in the film.

Havana Rose Liu as Ranni the Witch

Just look at Havana Rose Liu and tell me you don’t see her as Ranni, the daughter of Radagon and Rennala. Everyone else does!

Sonoya Mizuno as Rennala

Mizuno is a favorite of Garland’s and if we’re fleshing out the Elden Ring family tree, it makes sense to have Rennala represented. She’s key to the familiar conflict of Elden Ring‘s royalty.

Jonathan Pryce as Miriel, Pastor of Vows, aka the Turtle Pope

Maybe we’re typecasting Jonathan Pryce in religious leadership roles after his turn in Game of Thrones as the High Sparrow and as actual Pope Francis in The Two Popes, but you have to imagine there might’ve been a conversation where Garland said to Pryce, “Yes, but you’d be a giant turtle pope in this one” and Pryce arching an eyebrow in curiosity. Putting Miriel, Pastor of Vows in the Elden Ring movie feels like something Garland might do.

One could also see Pryce playing Gideon Ofnir, an important character in Elden Ring‘s Roundtable Hold who offers guidance to the Tarnished.

Ruby Cruz as Roderika

Another great Roundtable Hold character candidate is Roderika, who players meet early on in Elden Ring. Ruby Cruz could certainly portray the spirit tuner Tarnished who ventures to the Lands Between and loses her traveling companions to Godrick the Grafted.

Nick Offerman as Iron Fist Alexander, the Warrior Jar

Garland cast Offerman as the third-term President of the United States in Civil War, so the director’s not afraid to put him in a deadly serious role. Offerman’s close association with hitting things with a hammer makes Smithing Master Hewg a possibility (especially if Roderika’s in the film), and the actor’s recent turn as a wrestler in Margo’s Got Money Troubles could certainly herald a turn as Godfrey/Hoarah Loux. But I’m going to call it now: Offerman is Warrior Jar Iron Fist Alexander.

Some Elden Ring fans want Offerman as Radahn, but I think there’s another strong candidate for that role.

John Hodgkinson as Gideon Ofnir

Admittedly, finding a role for John Hodgkinson, an English actor known for his stage work, has been a little hard. As a voice, he could fit in anywhere. In terms of key characters, Hodgkinson could fit a number of roles, including curmudgeonly-guy-behind-a-desk Gideon Ofnir, nomadic warrior Castellan Jerren, or even Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy. I could see his face CGI-mapped onto a giant snake monster.

Jefferson Hall as Radahn

Hall has done double (err, triple?) Game of Thrones duty, playing Hugh of the Vale in Game of Thrones, and twins Jason Lannister and Tyland Lannister in House of the Dragon. He’s my pick to play Radahn. He looks great clad in armor atop a horse! (See photo above.)

Emma Laird as Queen Marika

Emma Laird, who appears in the 28 Years Later movies, just has that Marika look. I also peeked at her Instagram stories and saw her playing Elden Ring, snapping a pic of her character parked outside of Church of Marika, which I choose to interpret as confirmation of this casting theory.

Peter Serafinowicz as Merchant Kalé

Serafinowicz is an avowed FromSoftware dork and previously appeared in Dark Souls 2 as the voice of Mild-Mannered Pate. He could show up in similar sitting-around/standing-around roles in Elden Ring, including Merchant Kalé, prawn vendor Blackguard Big Boggart, or even the infamous Patches. There are no bad roles for Serafinowicz!