The Warcraft movie is back on Netflix for your enjoyment

It’s been almost ten years since the original premiere of the Warcraft movie, and the film has recently reappeared in the Netflix streaming library. No matter how you felt about the production (we liked it), that makes now the perfect time to revisit the film.

It’s a solid fantasy movie with a lot of feeling and style. It’s no longer cutting edge, but the CGI work on the characters holds up impressively well. And it gets to the heart of what makes WoW so special. Many studios have tried and failed to capture the magic of an interactive gaming experience in a non-interactive movie. There’s no questing or raiding to be had in the movie, but Warcraft still lets you immerse yourself in the world and people of Azeroth for a few hours, and that’s what counts.

Obviously, those of us who live and breathe WoW lore will understand every minor reference and knowing wink that the Warcraft movie contains. And there are so, so many of them. As director Duncan Jones insisted at every single BlizzCon appearance during production, the people behind the cameras are series WoW fans.

And whatever their connection to the game, the talent in front of the camera is a great lineup of newer faces and some industry veterans. Here are the performers who brought the Warcraft lore to life on screen.

The Alliance

Let’s start with the Alliance:

• Travis Fimmel as Anduin Lothar, a general of the Kingdom of Stormwind, and hero of the Alliance. If his face seems familiar, it’s most likely from his turn in Vikings. Fimmel also appeared in a few episodes of the AMC western That Dirty Black Bag, which coincidentally stars another member of the Warcraft cast in Dominic Cooper.
• Dominic Cooper as King Llane Wrynn, leader of the Alliance. In addition to playing Llane, Cooper has a long lineup of notable credits that range from the somber to the sunny. He’s been in everything from My Week with Marilyn and The Duchess to Mamma Mia! and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.
• Ruth Negga as Lady Taria, Stormwind’s queen. Possibly one of the most decorated actors in the core cast, Negga starred in Loving, Passing, and Presumed Innocent.
• Paula Patton as Garona, a half-orc who has found her way to Stormwind. Before appearing in Warcraft, she had roles in Hitch, Idlewild, Precious, and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.

There are two important magic-wielders in Azeroth:

• Ben Schnetzer as Khadgar, a young mage advising the throne.  Schnetzer has proven himself many times in dramatic roles, such as the screen adaptation of The Book Thief and the biopic Snowden, as well as with recent appearances on the Netflix show 3 Body Problem and FX’s adaptation of Y: The Last Man.
• Ben Foster as Medivh, a powerful mage appointed to be Guardian of Azeroth. Foster’s past credits include acclaimed titles such as Emancipation, Leave No Trace, Kill Your Darlings, and 3:10 to Yuma.

The Horde

The Horde side of the cast may not always be as recognizable under all the CGI, but it’s still likely you’ve seen their work before.

• Toby Kebbell as Durotan, chieftain of the Frostwolf Clan. Kebbell’s most notable role is in the Apple TV sci-fi series For All Mankind.
• Anna Galvin as Draka, a Frostwolf warrior and Durotan’s mate. Much of Galvin’s recent work has centered on television, including Van Helsing and Loudermilk.
• Robert Kazinsky as Ogrim, Durotan’s second-in-command. As well as appearing in a minor role in Captain Marvel, you may have heard Kazinsky’s voice in the game Mass Effect: Andromeda.
• Daniel Wu as Gul’dan, orc warlock and chief villain in the film — a character that he also voices in Hearthstone. Wu took a starring turn at the head of TV show Into the Badlands, as well as appearing in star-studded Disney+ series American Born Chinese. He’s also spent years working on Hong Kong cinema titles such as One Nite in Mongkok.
• Clancy Brown as Blackhand, Warchief of the Horde. Brown’s long career in Hollywood spans from The Shawshank Redemption to Flubber, from John Wick Chapter 4 to Ahsoka. Brown has also been prolific as a voice actor, with video game credits in Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon. You’ve also heard him as Mr. Eugene H. Krabs in several SpongeBob SquarePants projects.

It’s hard to know how long any particular title will stay on a streaming service, so as I said, now’s a great time for a Warcraft rewatch. With the very imminent arrival of a new WoW chapter in The War Within, it’s cool to look back at the very first meeting of orcs and humans and the beginning of the Azeroth saga — at least as portrayed in cinema.