Vikings Season 4 will have King Ragnar face new challenges with the introduction of new characters when the series returns on television.
Reports reveal teasers of three new characters being introduced in the next instalment of the historical drama series.
Finnish actor Peter Franzen will play the role of Scandinavian King Harald Finehair who will challenge the throne of Ragnar Lothbrok played by Travis Fimmel. King Finehair's brother, Halfdan the Black, will be played by Jasper Paakkonen.
Even as the Finehairs of the North pose threats to the king, Ragnar will also learn about the Far East when he meets Yidu, a new Chinese character played by Dianne Doan.
Showrunner Michael Hirst revealed in a media interview that Vikings Season 4 will begin with the famous warrior King Ragnar's still ailing saying, "It's very important that Ragnar is weakened, ill and hovering between life and death when we come back for season four." It seems the threats to Ragnar's life will only escalate in the new season.
Hirst also revealed that the sibling rivalry between Ragnar and his brother, King Rollo of France played by Clive Standen, will intensify despite Rollo's offer of land and his daughter after the Norsemen conquers the New Worlds. "If he's going to accept the offer, he's got to go the whole hog, so he's gone into that with the Franks and that's not going to just be a game of convenience. If he does this, this time - it's a second betrayal, but it's a much bigger betrayal," disclosed Hirst.
The new cast of characters come as season 3 casts Jessalyn Gilsig who pays Siggy, and George Blagden who plays Athelstan leave the show.
Series creator Hirst also revealed Vikings Season 4 will have a time jump of two years because the journey home from the setting of the previous season took longer than expected.
Vikings Season 4 began filming in April in Ireland and will return to the History Channel in 2016.
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