Being a monster hunter mutated by magic means there’s probably a lot of day-to-day health problems that you never have to worry about. But despite that being the case for Geralt of Rivia, it seems that COVID has an enormous middle finger specially reserved for the supernatural warrior, and by extension, fans of Netflix’s The Witcher.
Indeed, production on The Witcher‘s third season, which was scheduled to wrap sometime in August, has been put on hold (according too a report from Redanian Intelligence) after Henry Cavill, who plays the titular Geralt in the show, was alleged to have tested positive for COVID.
The news came at a time when the cast and crew of Netflix’s critically-acclaimed adaptation were set to film for the Thanedd coup, a large-scale battle sequence involving Thanedd supporters of Nilfgaard and the North, each of whom planned to use the guise of a meeting to launch a surprise attack against the other. Cavill, alongside many of the show’s major players, are set to be involved.
Any news of a delay is disappointing, and this is no exception. And while there is no timeline for Cavill’s recovery, it’s not expected that this hiccup will affect the production timeline too deeply when measures are in place for such events.
The Witcher started out slow, posting a 68 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but wound up shooting to a 95 when the second season rolled around. The show’s third run of episodes was confirmed in September 2021, and is currently slated for a 2023 release, exclusively to Netflix.