The Wheel of Time star Marcus Rutherford opens up on Perrin’s ‘daunting’ tragic moment in episode 1

Warning: spoilers ahead for episode 1 of The Wheel of Time.

Marcus Rutherford, one of the stars of Rosamund Pike’s new fantasy series The Wheel of Time, has opened up about a tragic moment his character Perrin endured in episode 1, admitting that it was a ‘daunting’ storyline to take on.

The Amazon Prime Video show is based on the book series of the same name, following a woman called Moiraine (Rosamund) who has magical powers and embarks on a quest to find a special individual known as the ‘Dragon Reborn’.

During a recent interview with Metro.co.uk and other press, Marcus opened up about his character Perrin’s journey while speaking alongside Josha Stradowski, who plays farmboy Rand.

In the first episode, following Moiraine’s arrival at their village the Two Rivers, the residents experience an attack from a massive group of Trollocks, monstrous creatures controlled by a dark being called a Fade.

While fighting several Trollocks inside a barn alongside his wife Laila (Helena Westerman), Perrin accidentally swings his axe into her stomach, killing her.

Marcus attended The Wheel of Time world premiere with his co-stars (Picture: David Fisher/Rex/Shutterstock)

The moment will have come as a huge shock to people watching the series, particularly for those who have read the books due to its deviation from the original source material, as Perrin does not begin the story with a wife.

Marcus, who was nominated for Most Promising Newcomer at the British Independent Film Awards for his performance in the 2018 film Obey, described portraying that moment as ‘daunting’, having been added by showrunner Rafe Judkins.

‘It was quite daunting because I knew it was a big element and it was something that Rafe put into the show,’ the actor said.

‘I think that first episode kind of set the bar really for the rest of the season in terms of not just the visual effects and the scale of it and the stunts but also the acting that all the cast bring and that emotional depth from early on.’

The group set off on a dangerous journey (Picture: Amazon/Planet Photos)

Marcus expressed his hope that the scene ‘lays a foundation’ for Perrin’s character, in addition to ‘his behaviour, his demeanour and his introspective qualities that you might see throughout the series’.

‘I think it kind of all starts on that particular moment that we have early on,’ he added.

‘It was daunting and I knew that it was quite a big beat to have, but it was quite a good challenge, an exciting challenge to have as an actor.’

Ahead of The Wheel of Time’s release, many people compared it to Game of Thrones, despite the fact that the book series actually came out before George RR Martin’s novels.

Josha Stradowski (right, pictured with Madeleine Madden) is flattered by Game of Thrones comparisons (Picture: Amazon/Planet Photos)

Josha told Metro.co.uk that he takes the comparisons as a ‘compliment’, despite having not watched the HBO show, which came to an end in 2019.

Executive producer Mike Weber expressed his belief that The Wheel of Time features characters that are more ‘relatable’.

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‘The Thrones comparison is just that that’s the only other giant fantasy series anyone can point to. We are certainly of the same scale and level of production quality as Game of Thrones, but I think that’s where the similarities end,’ he told Metro.co.uk and other press.

‘I think audiences will be able to really see themselves in one if not many of the characters in our show versus something that felt a little more detached I think for Thrones.’

The Wheel of Time is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video with new episodes released on Fridays.

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