Even though we don’t know the reasons behind Henry Cavill’s departure from The Witcher, fans were more than happy to instantly point the finger of blame at showrunner Lauren Hissrich and the rest of the creative team.
In fact, a petition launched shortly after the news broke that Liam Hemsworth would be stepping in as Geralt of Rivia beginning with season 3 has racked up well over 200,000 signatures, with the entire crux of the campaign demanding that Hissrich and the writers quite the Continent in favor of Cavill reneging on his decision to hang up his swords.
It can’t be easy heading up an expanded universe nobody seems all that interested in anymore, but in an interview with TechRadar to promote spinoff Blood Origin, Hissrich gave off some seriously mixed signals. Not only did she refuse to confirm or deny the rumors of behind the scenes discontent, she also urged those ready to turn their backs on The Witcher to give season 3 a shot, while also making sure to note that the controversy shouldn’t overshadow the upcoming spinoff.
“It’s a big deal for us, too. And that’s the thing – there’s a lot of talk and rumors about and we fully understand why fans are going there. What I will say is please come back for The Witcher season 3 so that we can continue to do this. Obviously, that [Cavill’s departure] is huge news. But what I don’t want to do is – this has to stay about Blood Origin, Declan [de Barra, Blood Origin’s showrunner], the cast, and the crew. This is their time in the spotlight.”
Basically, if the viewing figures for season 3 aren’t up to scratch, then Hemsworth’s season 4 may not even get the green light from Netflix. It’s an interesting dilemma for fans, though; do they support Cavill’s last ride, or ignore it in the hopes the main show gets the axe? Curious times lie ahead for The Witcher, that’s for sure.
