Patrick Gibson and new cast members on joining Shadow and Bone season 2 (Interview)

Shadow and Bone will be introducing some new faces in season 2, and I can tell you they’re all endearing! The new actors joining the Netflix hit are Patrick Gibson, Lewis Tan, Anna Leong Brophy, and Jack Wolfe.

The Crows crew will be expanding this time around with the addition of Wolfe as Wylan, a demolitions expert who certainly comes in handy. And a little tease — keep your eyes on the scenes between Jesper and Wylan!

Gibson takes on the role of Sturmhond/Nikolai Lanstsov. Sturmhond is the character’s alter ego, a privateer, and serves as a disguise for Prince Nikolai of Ravka. Joining the privateer on board are twin siblings Tan as Tolya Yul-Bataar and Brophy as Tamar Kir-Bataar.

Netflix Life had the opportunity to take part in a roundtable interview with the actors portraying the prince and twins to discuss them joining Shadow and Bone season 2, and what they hope viewers take away from their characters. Read on below!

Patrick Gibson and new actors on joining Shadow and Bone season 2

When we first meet the privateer/prince, it’s a bit hard to know just what his agenda and intentions are. As we see in the sneak peek clip shared by Netflix (watch it below!), Alina and Mal cross paths with Sturmhond as they’re on a quest to find the two amplifiers that will help to bring Kirigan down. Gibson explained it’s because his character doesn’t yet know what Alina’s intentions are.

"From Strumhond’s perspective, he doesn’t necessarily know for sure that Alina — because he has to be weary of everyone, he’s kind of always had to keep his guard up his whole life and he’s not always trusting of everyone. So I think a lot of that game of cat and mouse in the beginning is him trying to suss out whether Alina has been working with the Darkling because they had an allegiance in the past. So in a way, she could almost be a villain to him at the beginning. Although he’s kind of sussed it out, he wants to make sure that she’s somebody who has the same vision as him."

So why is a prince even disguising himself as a privateer? There’s reasons for that, including the royal’s motivation to save Ravka. But there may also be some more to it as Gibson shares.

"I think in a way, a lot of that [being Sturmhond] allows him to be the version of himself that he wished he could [be] when he’s in the court and when he’s a prince. And I think in doing that and escaping that identity and becoming somebody else — when he comes back he sort of allows himself to be himself and realizes that people will accept that. And there’s a power in that."

All three actors assented that joining an already established show and cast was nerve-wracking, but it was made easy because the the cast was “extremely welcoming, supportive, fun,” according to Tan. He remembers dinner, dance parties, and karaoke nights while shooting!

Meet the twins: Tolya and Tamar

A wonderful relationship this season is the one between brother and sister Tolya and Tamar. And the sibling-like chemistry between the actors “came naturally,” according to Brophy. The two equally fearsome Grisha Heartrenders (who don’t work for Kirigan) are very loyal to the prince, even though they don’t have an allegiance to one certain ruler.

All three characters are ready for danger and adventure at all times, and the twins are always at the ready with their preferred weapons: a sword for Tolya and dual axes for Tamar! And that’s what partly bring the group together, shares Brophy.

"I think they all really accept each other for who they are and what they are. So there’s so much mutual love and affection that’s probably born out of getting into some serious scrapes."

Tan added that the brother and sister are always free to leave at any time, but they are there to support Nikolai by choice because they “trust” and “believe” in the ruler and his cause. It’s those characteristics that Tan hopes translates onscreen for viewers.

"There’s a lot of themes in the show. There’s a lot of themes separately in the character dynamics. So hopefully they take away the loyalty, the passion, the unity of what it takes to make any sort of real change in the world."

Shadow and Bone season 2 premieres Thursday, March 16, 2023 on Netflix.