‘That presence is cemented in the DNA of the show’: Henry Cavill’s ‘The Witcher’ exit leaving massive shoes to fill

The Witcher has now finally returned for season three. It’s only been a few hours but the early reviews are glowing, with Henry Cavill being once again singled out for bringing depth and complexity to the mutated monster hunter Geralt.

But you’d have to be living under a rock not to know about the behind-the-scenes drama hanging over the show. This will be Cavill’s last time swinging the twin swords and as of season four Geralt will be played by Liam Hemsworth. Whether that’s a sideways move or a substantial downgrade is subjective, though we’re going to miss the passion, intelligence, and deep knowledge of the source material Cavill brought to the show.

It seems we’re not alone here, with Cavill’s co-star Joey Batey open that the cast is going to miss him. Speaking to Comicbook.com, he said:

“We’ll all miss Henry greatly, and as you say, behind the scenes, he’s always just been very, very supportive and funny, good-natured professional who was always the first to laugh on those bad days and to crack jokes, and that presence is cemented in the DNA of the show.”

This echoes what Yennefer star Anya Chalotra said about working alongside Cavill:

“It’s going to be bizarre, and I feel like I’m definitely going to feel that loss. I think we all will. Henry’s been incredible and carried the show, so definitely going to feel that, but very, very excited for what’s to come. There’s so much story to tell.”

Now that season three is here and Cavill’s ties with the show are fully severed we may finally learn what actually went on behind the scenes that caused this rupture. There are persistent and convincing rumors he clashed with The Witcher‘s production team, with him pushing for the show to stay faithful to the original books.

The whole messy story will undoubtedly trickle out at some point, though it’s worth wondering what’s next for Cavill. The James Gunn era means his time as Superman has never been more over and Amazon’s Warhammer production doesn’t seem to be moving forward very quickly. His next major role will be in Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, so let’s hope that arrives sooner rather than as we need as much Cavill in our lives as possible.