The legacy of The Witcher will live on—even without Henry Cavill at the forefront.
In October, Cavill announced he would be stepping away from the Netflix fantasy drama after its upcoming third season—with the announcement that Liam Hemsworth will assume the role of Geralt for season four—and potentially beyond.
Now, Netflix is explaining why they decided to recast the leading role as opposed to ending the series with its original Geralt.
"There has been a legacy of amazing, iconic characters where the actors have changed and we're hugely optimistic about this," Netflix's head of U.S. and Canada scripted series Peter Friedlander told Variety Dec. 14. "We will continue to honor the IP, the fans, the storytelling, all the way through."
Friedlander paid homage to the show's original casting while looking optimistically toward the future, saying, "Henry is an extraordinary Geralt and I think Liam will continue and also be an extraordinary Geralt."
Cavill announced his Witcher exit in a heartfelt social media post, writing on Instagram Oct. 29, "My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4."
Netflix renewed the show for a fourth season while announcing Hemsworth's re-casting.
While no official release date has been given, Netflix confirmed that season three of The Witcher—Cavill's final episodes as Geralt—will hit the streamer sometime in 2023.
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