For three seasons, Henry Cavill embodies the main character in the popular Netflix series "The Witcher". Now the 39-year-old is surprisingly leaving. A successor has already been found - and he has "big boots to fill", as he himself admits on Instagram.
The popular fantasy series "The Witcher" is facing a significant change: Lead actor Henry Cavill, who previously played the title character Geralt of Rivia, is leaving before the fourth season, which has just been confirmed by Netflix. Australian actor Liam Hemsworth takes on the role. The 32-year-old is known, among other things, from the "Hunger Games" film series. Cavill and Hemsworth confirmed the surprising cast change themselves on Instagram.
"I will lay down my medallion and swords for season four," wrote series star Cavill. "In my place, the fantastic Mr. Liam Hemsworth is taking up the mantle of the White Wolf". Hemsworth describes his predecessor as "an incredible Geralt" and is honored to take on the character. At the same time, the star speaks of not being faced with an easy task given Cavill's successful performance and having "big boots to fill".
Just a few days ago it was announced that Cavill will return to the DC film universe as Superman. The 39-year-old also takes on the leading role in the new agent action film "The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare" by director Guy Ritchie.
The industry magazine "Deadline" claims to have learned from well-informed sources that Cavill had only signed a "temporary contract" with "The Witcher". After three seasons, the star felt it was time to move on. The "demanding production schedule" of the series, which is being made in England, also contributed to Cavill's decision.
Netflix's official The Witcher Twitter account also confirmed the cast change in a tweet that announced the series' renewal for a fourth season. According to Deadline, Cavill's co-stars Anya Chalotra and Freya Allan renegotiated their contracts ahead of season four and will remain on the show. The third season of The Witcher has already wrapped and is currently in post-production. The final episodes starring series star Cavill are expected to hit Netflix in summer 2023. Before that, The Witcher: Blood Origin, a prequel mini-series to The Witcher, launches on Netflix on December 25th.
In the fantasy series "The Witcher", the monster hunter Geralt von Rivia, previously embodied by Cavill, is the focus. In a medieval fantasy world full of monsters, elves, dwarfs and dragons, witcher Geralt travels the country as a kind of knight errant and experiences all kinds of adventures. The Witcher series is based on the witcher saga by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. A video game series based on the novel series is also enjoying great popularity.
