Next week, History’s Vikings welcomes WWE hall of famer Adam “Edge” Copeland for a multi-episode arc. Copeland will be playing Viking family man Kjetill Flatnose, and will appear in the next few episodes until the midseason finale in late January. At present, there’s not a lot to go on with regard to how big of a role the hall of famer will have, but the cable channel is at least making his presence known with a first look clip of episode 5, ‘The Prisoner’, which airs this Wednesday.
Copeland is reportedly a huge fan of the show, so this could be considered as big an opportunity for him as it is for the series to attract a whole new audience curious to see the performer take up a sword with Lagertha and Floki. The series isn’t known for its stunt casting or its special guest stars, though over the course of the last four seasons, the likes of Gabriel Byrne, Donal Logue, and even The Strain’s Kevin Durand have all had roles on Vikings, so it’s not as though the show is breaking new ground in season 5. However, the casting of a WWE superstar is both noteworthy and oddly very fitting.
One look at the clip above or at any of the images shared by History explains why Copeland’s casting is so fitting: he certainly looks the part of Viking warrior. As it turns out from the video, the character Copeland is playing is the curious sort, or at least curious enough about Lagertha’s recent decisions that he’ll seek some answers while rowing to the destination Floki plans to take the group. Whether or not that means we will learn more about Kjetill once the group reaches that destination remains to be seen, but it stands to reason we will, as the character’s description points to some hidden ambitions. Check out the description and more images below:
[vn_gallery name=“Adam Edge Copeland in Vikings” id=“1139130”]
Copeland himself has described Kjetill as someone who “wants to be a pillar of this Icelandic community that’s being built literally from the ground up,” and that he “looks at himself as a great tool for Floki to be able to use in order to get this done and get it made.” So it sounds as though the role will see Copeland playing nice with Gustaf Skarsgård for the time being as they attempt to establish a whole new community. Whether or not that means we’ll be seeing him after the series returns for the second half of season 5 remains to be seen, however.
“Kjetill is a solid family man who remains level-headed in the face of challenges. When Kjetill’s character is put to the test by a series of provocations, hidden complexities and ambitions are revealed.”
Following an appearance on The Flash in 2015, a role in Vikings might be one of Copeland’s most high profile since his retirement from wrestling. He’s one of several WWE superstars who’ve left the ring (for the most part) to try their hand at acting in film and television. Perhaps this run on History’s scripted drama will lead to even more roles down the road.
Next: Vikings Season 5 Premiere Practically Gives the Series a New Beginning
Vikings continues on Wednesday with ‘The Prisoner’ @9pm on History.
