Season 4 of the Netflix series, The Witcher has a lot of pressure on it to be good. For starters, its lead actor Henry Cavill, who plays the titular Witcher, Geralt of Rivia has exited the series and has been replaced by Liam Hemsworth.
The show has been receiving declining reviews since the past season, and its spin-off miniseries The Witcher: Blood Origin was also panned upon release. The show is also repositioning one of its main characters, Cirilla, who is played by Freya Allan. The fourth season sees the morally good Ciri possibly going to the dark side and fans are worried that another Game of Thrones moment might occur. Spoilers for the show might be ahead.
Why Did Henry Cavill Leave The Witcher?
Actor Henry Cavill was a fan favorite to play Geralt in The Witcher series ever since it was announced. The actor himself actively campaigned for the role and expressed that it was a dream come true to play the role as he was a fan of the games and the books.
The actor was welcomed with open arms when the Netflix series debuted in 2019 and was often considered to be the perfect embodiment of the character from the books. He featured in the role for three seasons. However, he suddenly revealed in 2022 that after the third season, he would not return to the series and that The Hunger Games star Liam Hemsworth would be replacing him.
Also read:Henry Cavill’s Easiest Payday: Earned a Whopping $20,000 Per Second in 1 of the Worst DC Movies Ever
While no official reason was provided by Cavill or Netflix, fans started speculating that his commitment to being Superman in the DCEU was the reason for his departure. The actor appeared in a cameo at the end of Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam and later announced that he would be returning to the role of Clark Kent. A Man of Steel sequel also entered development and since Cavill only had a three-season contract with Netflix for The Witcher, it was speculated that he left the series to star as Superman.
However, Warner Brothers Discovery later announced that there would be a soft rebooting of the DCEU and were putting James Gunn and Peter Safran in charge of DC Studios. Gunn announced that he would be launching the DCU, whose first film would be Superman: Legacy, a film that would focus on a younger Superman. Cavill also announced that he would not be returning as Superman in the DCU after a meeting with Gunn and Safran.
What Changes Does Season 4 Have In Store For The Witcher?
While the creators of The Witcher have a Henry Cavill-shaped void to fill in the beloved series, they also seem to be leaning towards a more controversial creative choice. Season four of the series is reported to be centered on the fan-favorite character Princess Cirilla, who is played by Freya Allan.
At the end of season three, Ciri is saved by a group of bounty hunters called the Rats, who accept her into their fold after she kills her captor. Ciri, who usually represented the morally good in the series, already seems to be on the path to the darkness with her first human kill. She also introduces herself to the Rats as Falka. In the books, Falka is an antagonist who is known to have killed her own father and brothers, as well as cursed the people who were present at her execution.
All these hints point to Ciri being positioned as the main character of the series as well as turning evil. Fans are hoping that the turn is not as jarring and off-character as Danaerys Targaryen’s in the final season of Game of Thrones, which was one of the most controversial endings in TV history. Along with trying to make the fans accept Liam Hemsworth as their Geralt, the creators have to make sure they do not forge a path to disaster.
Source: Digital Spy
