The Kingkiller Chronicle Fans Envision Willem Dafoe As Their Ideal Actor For The Cthaeh

There aren't many contemporary fantasy franchises as popular as "The Kingkiller Chronicle." Created by author Patrick Rothfuss, the beloved fantasy book series tells the story of Kvothe, a man who has already taken to living under a pseudonym as a low-key innkeeper by the time "The Name of the Wind," the first installment in "The Kingkiller Chronicle" series, begins. Throughout the book series' first two installments, Kvothe recounts in excruciating detail the story of his life and, specifically, how he transformed as a younger man from a wandering musician into a notorious wizard known as "Kingkiller."

Both "The Name of the Wind" and its 2011 follow-up, "The Wise Man's Fear," have received more than their fair share of acclaim over the years. While the series' popularity is due primarily to Rothfuss' alluring writing style and the complexity of its protagonist's journey, it's worth noting that Kvothe is far from the only compelling figure featured in "The Kingkiller Chronicle" up to this point.

Rothfuss' readers have spent years talking online about who they think should play certain characters in any future adaptations of "The Kingkiller Chronicle." Some fans of the fantasy book series even seem to believe they know who would be the perfect actor to voice the malevolent creature known as the Cthaeh: Green Goblin himself, Willem Dafoe.

On Reddit, fans of "The Kingkiller Chronicle" recently came together to discuss which actor they'd like to hear voice the prophetic entity known as The Cthaeh in a future TV or film adaptation. In what likely won't come as too big of a surprise to longtime "Kingkiller Chronicle" fans, the actor who emerged as the most popular choice was Willem Dafoe.

In response to the online fan-casting discussion, u/Mediocre-Wonder-2384 admitted, "[The Cthaeh is] always Willem Dafoe in my head," while u/Amocoru wrote, "[Dafoe is the] first name I thought of as well. He'd be perfect." Elsewhere, u/Nataliza echoed their fellow fans' thoughts, writing, "[Dafoe] has that taunting quality that would be perfect."

For those who might not know, the Cthaeh is an evil creature living within the branches of a tree in the Fae Realm. It's said that the Cthaeh can see into the future and uses this power to manipulate people into manifesting their worst possible realities. The entity's influence is so feared that the guardians of the very tree it calls home make a point to kill not only anyone who speaks to the Cthaeh but also any animals that come into contact with their bodies.

Taking all of this into account, it's not hard to see why "Kingkiller Chronicle" fans believe Dafoe, who is most well-known for some of his more villainous performances, would be the perfect person to voice the Cthaeh. What's less clear, however, is whether Dafoe or another actor of his caliber will ever even get the opportunity to play the Cthaeh.

It's been nearly 12 years since "The Wise Man's Fear," the second installment in "The Kingkiller Chronicle," was released. The prolonged wait for the series' third and final installment, "The Doors of Stone," has inevitably embittered many fans toward both the novels themselves and their author, Patrick Rothfuss, who has made promises about "The Doors of Stone" that have never come to fruition. In case that wasn't bad enough, though, there was also a time when it looked like "The Kingkiller Chronicle" was going to be adapted by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The "Hamilton" creator signed on in 2016 to executive produce and write the original music for a TV adaptation of "The Kingkiller Chronicle," which was meant to be part of a multi-format adaptation of the fantasy series that also included a feature film and video game. Within a few years, though, progress on these adaptations began to slow, and Miranda confirmed in 2022 that he was no longer attached to any of them.

Rothfuss, of course, can't be totally blamed for the fate that befell Miranda's proposed adaptations. However, in a post-"Game of Thrones" world, the fact that he hasn't actually finished his "Kingkiller" books yet will likely remain a major point of consideration among any producers who, like Miranda, might be interested in adapting Rothfuss' fantasy series.

If "The Kingkiller Chronicle" does ever get brought to life on-screen, though, fans seem to agree that Willem Dafoe would be the perfect actor to play the Cthaeh. For what it's worth, his roles in films "Spider-Man," "Spider-Man: No Way Home," and even "Death Note" prove that Dafoe isn't opposed to playing villains in certain high-profile adaptations, either.