It’s largely agreed that Henry Cavill is the best part of Netflix’s flagship fantasy show, The Witcher. His portrayal of Geralt of Rivia matches the character from the books to a T. It’s also been well-documented that Cavill himself is a huge fan of the franchise, giving audiences the confidence to invest in the series for the past two seasons—that confidence has waned recently, as the show has diverted further and further away from the source material, and its prequel, The Witcher: Blood Origin, was received poorly by critics.
Soon, Netflix will release The Witcher season 3. For the first time, The Witcher‘s release will be split into two parts: Volume 1 will release on June 29, and Volume 2, which consists of the final three episodes, will premiere on July 27. With this newer release model, The Witcher follows in the footsteps of other Netflix giants, including Stranger Things season 4, and You season 4.
While the release of a new season of The Witcher is exciting, there have allegedly been some worrying issues behind the scenes. In October 2022, it was announced that Henry Cavill would be leaving The Witcher for good. At the time, Cavill released this statement: “My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4.”
As such, fans can rest assured that The Witcher season 3 will still see Cavill as the titular monster slayer, but the character will be recast in The Witcher season 4 and beyond. At the same time that Cavill’s departure and the show’s season 4 renewal were announced, Netflix revealed Cavill’s replacement: Liam Hemsworth, known for his roles in The Hunger Games movies, Independence Day: Resurgence, and Isn’t It Romantic, will be taking on the part instead. Cavill had this to say at the time: “In my stead, the fantastic Mr. Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf. As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam’s take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men. Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find.”
Though this development may be surprising and disappointing to some, it does at least prove that Netflix is still heavily invested in making The Witcher franchise as successful as it can be, and it is certainly a fantasy series that deserves a great adaptation. The Witcher season 3 is set to be more compelling and emotional than ever before, and should, as such, be a great send-off for Henry Cavill—watch the trailer below and see for yourselves.
(featured image: Netflix)
