Henry Cavill won’t be Geralt of Rivia after The Witcher season 3. The Superman movie star is leaving the Netflix series to be replaced by Luke Hemsworth, and the transition has been met with skepticism, to say the least. Higher ups at Netflix aren’t worried, though, as they believe the fantasy series will endure.
“Henry is an extraordinary Geralt and I think Liam will continue and also be an extraordinary Geralt,” Peter Friedlander, head of US and Canada script series at Netflix, tells Variety. “There has been a legacy of of amazing, iconic characters where the actors have changed and we’re hugely optimistic about this. We will continue to honour the IP, the fans, the storytelling, all the way through.”
To be fair, he’s not wrong. One need only consult our lists of the Batman actors and Spider-Man actors to understand these roles can change hands without a dip in quality. Different does not necessarily mean bad, and it all comes down to the execution and what kind of transition happens.
In this instance, some wariness is justified. The Witcher isn’t expected to undergo any kind of reboot once Hemsworth steps in as Geralt, and Cavill leaves some huge boots to fill.
Cavill has really defined Geralt in the fantasy series for many fans, and as a blockbuster action movie star, he brings a audience wherever he goes. Considering prequel TV series Blood Origin and anime movie Nightmare of the Wolf, The Witcher is gradually expanding into a franchise that goes well beyond any one creator, but Cavill seemed like a lynchpin.
We can only wait and see. Cavill was due to be doing Man of Steel 2, but sadly the DC movie has been shelved. We’ll keep you informed on where you can see him next.