When news of The Witcher broke, it was the dawn of a new era for television. When Henry Cavill entered the picture frame and dominated the role he was destined for, people marveled at the beauty of the Netflix creation. When he left, the world of film and entertainment reeled at the loss as people mourned having witnessed something so beautiful and the knowledge of never experiencing it again.
As divisive as the news was, it was also a two-pronged problem: the audience could either boycott the production and let the story remain incomplete, or they could see the series through to the end but without Cavill in the lead.
The Witcher Showrunner Comments on Upcoming Season 3
As Henry Cavill prepares to appear on screen as the Witcher for the very last time, the series showrunner, Lauren Schmidt Hissrich makes a statement about the upcoming narrative, the lead actor’s controversial exit, and what the plot holds for the audience. Yet, it is one small detail that Hissrich glosses over that has caught the audience’s attention:
“The core of The Witcher is all about family. And this is the point at which our family finally gets a chance to be together for the first time and actually start imagining a future together. And so I was really excited to finally deliver that promise to the audience… to get to that place where there could be some happiness. But it’s The Witcher… so of course that doesn’t last!”
If Season 3 indeed stands as a testament to the Witcher and his true destiny, who better to encompass the journey and the role than Henry Cavill himself? But the realization also brings with it the harsh reality of this being the actor’s final journey.
The duality makes the audience question Hissrich’s intentions about the series as it moves forward. But of course, as its showrunner, she quite literally fulfills her role by running the show and guiding it forward into the future despite the tragedy at the heart of it.
A Reminder of The Witcher’s Betrayal as S03 Approaches
Every reminder of the Netflix production of The Witcher moving forward has the audience feeling a little faint over the preordained exit that looms beyond Season 3. With Henry Cavill gone, many believe the show will steer further away from the video games which is widely and popularly believed to be the reference point for the series adaptation. Lauren Hissrich, the showrunner, however, claims her inspiration is the direct and original source – the Andrzej Sapkowski novels.
No matter where the source lies, however, Henry Cavill’s embodiment and portrayal of the magically-enhanced monster-hunter destined to protect a princess and fall in love with a sorceress still remains imprinted not the audience’s mind for the nuanced perfection and accuracy he brought to the role that he loved so much.
And as such, when the series moves forward despite its virtual godfather at the helm steering the vessel forward through tricky waters, it rightly instills a feeling of betrayal and hurt for the audience who were promised a long, stable, and wonderful future with the adaptation and an actor who was able to bring the difficult lore and mythology to life with as much conviction as humanly possible which, at the moment, isn’t something that the audience is able to expect of Liam Hemsworth.
The Witcher Season 3 premieres on Netflix in 2023.
Source: Total Film
