A handful of new images from the upcoming Viking revenge thriller (a description which should be more than enough to excite you all by itself) The Northman gives us another look at Alexander Skarsgård as the wronged Viking prince, Amleth. He will avenge, he will save, and he will kill, as he sets out on a mission to rescue his mother and kill his uncle following the murder of his father.

The image of Alexander Skarsgård further teases the ferocity with which he aims to attack the title role of The Northman, with the rest of the images offering new looks at Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson as the He-Witch; Claes Bang as Fjölnir, Amleth's murderous uncle; and Ethan Hawke as King Aurvandill, Amleth's father.

Set at the turn of the 10th century in Iceland, The Northman follows a Viking named Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård), who witnesses the murder of his father, King Aurvandil, at the hands of his uncle, Fjolnir. With his mother, Queen Gudrun, now captured, Amleth flees his native land, but not before declaring his revenge on those who have wronged him.

Directed by Robert Eggers, who has co-written the screenplay with Icelandic poet and novelist Sjón, The Northman features an all-star cast that includes the likes of Nicole Kidman as Queen Gudrun, Willem Dafoe as Heimir the Fool, Björk as the Slav Witch, Anya Taylor-Joy as Olga, and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Thorfinnr alongside Alexander Skarsgård.

Released as part of the recent IGN Fan Fest, director Robert Eggers offered some insight into his approach to making a historical epic. "[Historical accuracy] It's not important to filmmaking, at all really," the filmmaker said regarding his desire to recreate the Viking era. "And you can make a great period story without being accurate – you know Coppola's Dracula is one of the best-designed movies in my opinion but it's not accurate at all. But this is something that I like, for whatever reason. It excites me."

Related: Robert Eggers' The Northman Is Something the World's Never Seen Teases Anya Taylor-Joy

Alexander Skarsgård Will Undergo an Impressive Physical Transformation for The Northman

the-northman
Focus Features, Universal Pictures

Leading man Alexander Skarsgård will undergo a monstrous transformation for The Northman, with the already brawny actor becoming even brawnier in order to convincingly cut a bloody path through his enemies. Robert Eggers described Skarsgard’s character as a “berzerker” who can “channel the ferocity of a bear,” and the actor has clearly dedicated himself to looking as bear-like as humanly possible.

Eggers has previously heaped praise on Skarsgard’s transformation saying, "Alex totally transformed his body. He's bigger than he is in Tarzan, and that's no small feat. He completely became this character. When he first had to do that kind berserker transformation scene everything fell into place. To my taste and understanding, he is like a saga hero. There are moments where his rage is as powerful as anything I can think of in cinema. I'm not trying to toot my horn, but it's intense. I feel ridiculous saying something like that, but it is intense."

The Northman is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on April 22, 2022, by Focus Features, before being distributed internationally by Universal Pictures.