The first episode of The Witcher Season 3 begins with an in-depth look back at the previous two seasons: flashes of Henry Cavill in that first, questionable Geralt wig, Freya Allen as a much younger, more eyebrowless Ciri, everyone’s shittier eye contacts, sword fights, magic, and a little more sex. As I watched, I was profoundly reminded of just how far the series has come since its debut in 2019 – how much better the makeup and styling have gotten, how impressively legible the sword fights are, how undeniably sexy most of the cast are, and how absolutely perfect Cavill is the witcher of the same name, Geralt of Rivia.
Netflix’s The Witcher takes cues from Andrzej Sapkowski’s fantasy novel series of the same name (which inspired the CD Projekt Red game series), though the twisted, time-travelling books offer plenty of creative freedom. The series can be a bit chaotic at times when it comes to plot, as it gets bogged down in politics rather than focusing on the core trio of Geralt, Ciri, and the magician Yennefer, but it shines whenever it features those three in Focus. Then remember: Cavill was created to play Geralt.
With Cavill is leaving after this season and The hunger Games‘ Liam Hemsworth set out to take his place (The reason is still unclear, but there are rumors about it Cavill’s frustration with the show’s writers and his potential other filming commitments have been jumbled up for months), it’s hard to watch the current season and not wonder, How will it be The Witcher continue in Cavill’s absence?
Henry Cavill is a dream device
Cavill’s physicality and familiarity with Sapkowski’s universe shine through every moment he’s on screen – he perfectly captures the quiet friendliness and inquiring philosophical spirit that Geralt so often displays in the books. Geralt can kill you with his bare hands, but he can also engage in an engaging debate with you about war and race relations, and Cavill embodies that perfectly. I don’t know if I would call Cavill an excellent actor, but he is an excellent Geralt.
There’s also a particular brand of physicality that Cavill brings to the role, largely due to his ability to perform many of his own stunts. As I watched this season, I wondered, “Did Cavill take notes from Tom Cruise on set?” Mission Impossible: Fallout?” Cruise famously does almost all of his own stunts, continually pushing the boundaries of what a Hollywood actor can do on screen, and the win is obvious: the Impossible Mission Movies are by far the best modern action movies.
Cavill has since worked with stunt coordinator Wolfgang Stegemann Stand out– The two worked together to choreograph the iconic one-shot fight scene The Witcher Season 1, so the context isn’t too far-fetched. And Stegemann told GamesRadar that “it’s nice to see an actor who does all the stunts himself.” I have a great stunt team, but I don’t need a stunt double for him. [This means] I’m able to capture special camera positions that I could never do without him.”
Will Hemsworth show that kind of dedication to his role? The Witcher Shows often falter in storyline and occasionally in character development, but when Cavill is fighting in a scene, you can’t look away. And in season three there are plenty of fight scenes and emotional moments that keep reminding us that he is an excellent Geralt of Rivia.
The Witcher without Cavill
Oddly enough, even Netflix seems determined to reassure viewers that Cavill is still with us this season The Witcher. In a recent marketing campaign, the words “Yes, he’s still Geralt in Season 3 of” were projected The Witcher” on buildings and rock faces around the world. Unfortunately, he won’t be Geralt in season 4 The Witcherand that’s what worries me the most.
The Witcher Season 3 is divided into two parts The second episode will follow later this month. The first episodes ended with a cliffhanger, which made waiting for the new episodes seem a bit longum There are spoilers for the books below, but the second half of the season will likely kick off with the Thanedd coup, an infamous battle in which Geralt is horribly injured. He carries this injury with him for the rest of the series, and the aftermath of the coup has major repercussions across the continent: he dissolves the Brotherhood of Mages, separates Ciri from Geralt, crowns an elf queen, and imprisons Yennefer.
The Thanedd heist will drastically change the pace of the series – expect it to speed up, the stakes increase tenfold, and you’ll be heartbroken over and over again. It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Cavill taking charge of the exciting future of The Witcher, but I keep an open mind. Maybe Hemsworth has what it takes, and his Geralt of Rivia will be one for the ages. The Witcher Showrunners have promised a “flawless” and “meta” transition from Cavill to Hemsworth, so I’m at least looking forward to seeing how they pull that off.
The Witcher Season 3, Volume 1 is now streaming on Netflix; Volume 2 will be released on July 27th.
