The Netflix fan-favorite fantasy series The Witcher is set to release the first part of its third season soon and it will take us back to The Continent with all its monsters, political scheming, and many dangers that lurk in each corner as the monster slayer Geralt of Rivia seeks to protect his Child of Surprise, Ciri. Starring as the famed swordsman for the previous two seasons has been Henry Cavill, however, it was announced that the upcoming season will be Cavill's last as the titular hero with Liam Hemsworth taking up the silver sword.
Given how much Cavill had embraced and embodied the role, it was certainly going to be a challenge to have another actor play the role. Despite no official explanation for Cavill's exit, speculation and reports suggest the actor had decided to step aside because the series were straying too far from Andrzej Sapkowski's books, upon which it is based. Ahead of the third installment, series showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, in an interview with Total Film, defended the decision to recast Geralt stating that there remained many stories to tell. "We had the choice to have Geralt exit and to end the show," Hissrich said. "But that's not something that we were willing to do. There's just too many stories left to tell. If we replaced Geralt with another Witcher, we would be going fully away from the books, and I don't think that's what anyone wanted either."
Cavill as Geralt has continued to effortlessly embody the monster slayer in new promotional images for the upcoming season. When he is done with his mission protecting Ciri, the Elder Blood from the Wraiths of Mörhogg, many fans would hope that come season 4, Hemsworth will seamlessly step into the role and continue the journey and Hissrich is excited to see him in the role. "We're all excited about Liam coming in. He's got enormous shoes to fill, but also has a lot of energy and a lot of excitement for it. It's obviously a brand-new chapter for us. And there's a lot of feelings involved. But at the end of the day, we love what we're doing. So we're gonna keep going," the showrunner said.
Cavill Is a "Crucial Part of the Show"
Before Cavill bows out as Geralt, a new looming threat in the shape of the Wild Hunt are after Ciri (Freya Allan) and the Princess' safety would have to be ensured by the monster slayer and his lover, Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra). As much as Geralt is crucial to keeping Ciri alive on the show, Chalotra commented on Cavill's impending exit, terming him "a crucial part of the show" and saying, "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 gonna miss him a lot. I wish him all the best."
The Witcher Season 3 Vol 1 debuts June 29 on Netflix. You can check out the trailer below: