The Witcher fans have started a petition for Netflix to bring back Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia in the series, following the news of his departure from the show after season 3.
Based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s series of fantasy novels of the same name, the adaptation premiered on Netflix in 2019. The fantasy-drama follows an enchanted monster hunter, Geralt of Rivia, hired to kill mythical creatures.
However, the mercenary finds himself stuck in the midst of a political power struggle between kingdoms. He also ends up with the responsibility of protecting a young princess who carries magical and mysterious powers within her.
Though fans were apprehensive of Cavill’s casting as Geralt at first, he quickly won hearts with his captivating performance in the series. Recently, the actor announced his departure from the series after season 3. Henry Cavill will not be reprising his role as Geralt in season 4.
It was also announced that Liam Hemsworth will replace Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia in the series. The news left fans of the show upset, who’ve been wondering about the real reason behind his departure. This is all the more surprising as the actor earlier spoke about his commitment to showrunner Lauren Hissrich’s 7-year plan.
Just a few days after Cavill’s departure was announced, fans created a petition on Change.org demanding Cavill’s return in the series as Geralt. As of writing this article, the petition has 40,000 signatures.
The petition demands the reinstatement of Cavill as Geralt, quoting writer Sapkowski’s praise of the actor. It also threatens Netflix with the loss of customers post season 3.
The petition further brings up the example of Game of Thrones season 8 to explain the colossal failure. According to fans, Netflix should get rid of writers who do not wish to honor the source material and replace them with those who will stick to the books as much as possible. They do not want their beloved show to take the Game of Thrones route.
Cavill has remained a fan favorite as it was revealed that he was a fan of both the original novels and the popular video game series by CD Projekt Red. Though most of the fanbase loved Cavill’s portrayal of Geralt, many had an issue with The Witcher’s plot.
There were quite a few deviations and changes in characters from the books. Previous reports also suggested that The Witcher’s writers were not a fan of the books and actively mocked them. Perhaps, this is the reason why the latest petition also demands that such writers be replaced by others who would respect the source material.
However, most petitions on Change.org act as nothing but symbolic gestures, having little to no effect on real-life decisions. Thus, it is hard to say whether such a petition will have an impact on major casting decisions. Only time will tell whether fans will be able to accept Liam Hemsworth as Geralt.
As of now, fans who are upset about Cavill’s departure can focus on the upcoming season 3 of The Witcher, premiering on Netflix in mid-2023.
About The Witcher
The Witcher is a fantasy drama streaming television series created by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich for Netflix. It is based on the book series of the same name by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski.
Set on a fictional, medieval-inspired landmass known as the Continent, The Witcher explores the legend of Geralt of Rivia, Yennefer of Vengerberg, and Princess Ciri.
The show stars Henry Cavill, Anya Chalotra, and Freya Allan. The show has been renewed for seasons 3 and 4.
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