‘The Witcher’ Showrunner Breaks Her Silence on Henry Cavill’s Departure
Netflix’s The Witcher suffered a considerable blow when lead actor Henry Cavill decided to leave the show. Fans have been loud about it, and now the showrunner has responded.
We learned in October that Henry Cavill is leaving The Witcher after season three, and Liam Hemsworth is taking his place. The actor had a short-term deal with the studio – everyone on the cast renegotiated heading into the fourth season – and decided it was time to depart. The show’s overseas shoots and demanding schedule likely influenced his decision, along with his already busy dance card. It’s rumored that his love of the source material and the show’s deviation from it was one of the reasons he didn’t sign for more seasons. He was clear about wanting to honor Andrzej Sapkowski’s story during last year’s The Witcher Unlocked:
“I’m a huge fan of the books and staying loyal to them, and it’s about making sure that story happens without too much in the way of diversions or side things going on to muddy the waters.”
Fans were shocked and angered by the news of the change. Many took to social media to say that they would stop watching the show after the next season (it debuts on Netflix Summer of 2023) or wouldn’t be watching at all.
via Netflix
The Showrunner Speaks
Fans weren’t the only ones feeling emotional about Cavill’s departure. The Witcher’s showrunner, Lauren S. Hissrich, broke her silence during an interview with TechRadar about The Witcher: Blood Origin. She encouraged the fanbase to continue supporting the remaining cast and crew.
“It’s a big deal for us, too. And that’s the thing. There’s a lot of talk and rumors about, and we fully understand why fans are going there. What I will say is, please come back for The Witcher season three so that we can continue to do this. Obviously, that [Cavill’s departure] is huge news. But what I don’t want to do is – this has to stay about Blood Origin, Declan [de Barra, Blood Origin’s showrunner], the cast, and the crew. This is their time in the spotlight.”
She quickly went back to talking about the new prequel that debuts on December 25th.
The Future of The Witcher
Replacing a lead actor is a considerable risk. Liam Hemsworth is tall, built, and can look successfully scruffy – but can he fill Cavill’s shoes? I’ve got nothing against the actor. I’m just not sure he’ll be able to carry the show following three seasons with what some see as the perfect Geralt. The ensemble cast is excellent. Henry Cavill is the main draw, though. I’m sure Hissrich and the execs at Netflix understand that. As they likely know that it doesn’t matter how fantastic Hemsworth is in the role, some viewers are done with the series.
We’ll get one season with Cavill that drops next summer, which may include some explanation for the change. It will be several more years of development and filming until we see Hemsworth as the White Wolf. He will bring new energy to the show – whether it’s good or bad remains to be seen.
Editor’s note: the article initially listed Chris Hemsworth – Cavill is being replaced by Liam Hemsworth. This has been corrected.
