Why Did Henry Cavill Leave ‘The Witcher’? Netflix’s Behind-the-Scenes Drama, Explained
Netflix’s hit fantasy drama is back with its season 4 starring Liam Hemsworth in the leading role, and there was a major reason why Henry Cavill never returned — here’s what reportedly happened.
Halloween isn’t only about all kinds of monsters and supernatural forces, it also fits well in the fantasy world as a whole — which is why The Witcher’s new fourth season has arrived on Netflix just on time.
The instalment comes more than two years after the release of the third season that marked Henry Cavill’s departure from the show and a major scandal for Netflix which decided to continue with a new lead.
Now starring The Hunger Games’ actor Liam Hemsworth, The Witcher feels completely different without Cavill who, according to numerous rumours, had all the reasons to quit the series.
Henry Cavill Left ‘The Witcher’ Due to Creative Differences
Even though the actor himself has never said anything specific about the reasons for his departure from The Witcher, many fans suggested he was simply done with writers trying to reframe Geralt Of Rivia’s story and change the book series’ most important storylines.
As some noted, Cavill is known for his love for all kinds of books and games, which is why he was fully prepared for the role after getting familiar with Andrzej Sapkowski’s "The Witcher" books.
However, the show’s writers kept going off the original plot despite Cavill sending them lots of helping notes and trying to save the story from completely falling apart.
In the end, Cavill was no longer able to put up with all the injustice done to his character as well, resulting in a major fallout with The Witcher’s creators.
After announcing his departure from the show in 2023, the actor revealed a little bit more about the whole situation, saying that he’s always that meticulous when it comes to him portraying a new character.
“It’s important for me to have the character be three-dimensional. And it’s tricky to do, as I was saying earlier, because there’s a certain vision and there’s a certain set storyline and plot. And so, it was about me trying to find Geralt’s place within that. All of my asks and requests were along the lines of just being faithful to the source material”, Cavill said in an interview with Philstar back then.
‘The Witcher’ Main Problem Isn’t Liam Hemsworth, Fans Say
The show’s new season is yet to garner its first reviews after debuting a new lead, but The Witcher’s long-standing fans seem to be no longer sure about whether it’s worth watching, and Liam Hemsworth has nothing to do with it.
On a Reddit thread, some reflected on the series significantly deteriorating in its quality even when Henry Cavill was there to play Geralt Of Rivia, implying that major changes in further seasons will likely make the show’s legacy go down the drain.
“Liam doesn't deserve all the hate, but the same can't be said for the show itself. It's a shame to see so much potential go to waste. I'm surprised they haven't canceled it yet, but then again, I don't even know how it's commercially viable”, wez_vattghern complained.
“Nothing against Liam. It’s the showrunner who completely doesn’t understand the importance of continuity and respect for the source material. Henry was the only reason to watch after that abysmal 2nd season... and even then I couldn’t finish the 3rd season”, RatedR2O agreed.
You can now watch The Witcher’s season 4 on Netflix.
