Netflix’s The Witcher series, based on the series of novels by Andrzej Sapkowski (The Last Wish, Sword of Destiny) is set to release its third season later this summer. According to Collider, showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich (The Umbrella Academy, Daredevil) discussed the recasting of Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games, Isn’t It Romantic) as the show’s main character, Geralt of Rivia, in an interview with Total Film.
The Witcher follows the story of Geralt of Rivia. Geralt is a Witcher, a human who is genetically engineered and deliberately mutated to hunt monsters. In The Witcher, Geralt travels through the kingdoms of the Witcher world, intervening in political issues and hunting monsters. In his travels, he runs into his on-and-off lover, the sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg, and Ciri, a princess who possesses stranger supernatural powers.
In all three seasons of the show, Geralt of Rivia is played by Henry Cavill (Man of Steel, Enola Holmes). However, Cavill announced in an Instagram post last October that he was leaving the show after the third season with little explanation as to why. Cavill was vocal about being a fan of The Witcher books and video games. As such, speculation suggests that the actor stepped aside because he felt the series was straying too far from the books it is based on.
In the same Instagram post, Cavill announced that Hemsworth would be replacing him as the legendary monster hunter. Hissrich discussed the difficult decision to recast Geralt. “We had the choice to have Geralt exit and to end the show,” she said. “But that’s not something that we were willing to do. There are just too many stories left to tell.
She elaborated further on Hemsworth joining the series. “We’re all excited about Liam coming in,” Hissrich said. “He’s got enormous shoes to fill, but also has a lot of energy and excitement for it. It’s obviously a brand-new chapter for us. And there are a lot of feelings involved. But at the end of the day, we love what we’re doing. So we’re going to keep going.”
The actress for Yennefer, Anya Chalotra (Wanderlust, Sherwood), also commented on Cavill leaving the series in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “The news was… yeah, it’s hard to take because he’s a crucial part of the show, and we all adore him. So. we’re going to miss him a lot.”
Fans of Netflix’s The Witcher can see more of the show when season three, Volume 1 debuts on June 29.
Photo credit: Raymond Flotat