Fans of The Witcher series on Netflix were dealt a massive blow the other day when it was revealed that Henry Cavill wouldn’t return as Geralt of Rivia. Cavill was the anchor for the show, and the series had been renewed for a fourth season, yet he departed it. Many wondered why that was the case, especially since early on in the series run, he said he was giving “full support” to the 7-season plan that was outlined by the team. Granted, a lot can change after making three seasons of a show, but the question remains, why did he choose to leave after three seasons?

Well, in a report made after the announcement by Cavill, Deadline said that the reason was timing and filming. The report states that Cavill had only signed a short-term deal with Netflix, which ended after the third season. So after finishing filming on said third season recently, he felt it was the right time to move on. It should be noted that the rest of the main cast renegotiated their contracts heading into the Season 4 announcement. So Cavill could’ve done that but chose instead to leave, and now he’ll be replaced by Liam Hemsworth.

While Cavill wished Liam well in his pursuit of becoming Geralt of Rivia, fans aren’t as sure that the actor can live up to what the OG did. But only time will tell on that front.

As for the “timing” element we mentioned, The Witcher films overseas to ensure it has a realistic fantasy aesthetic. A stark contrast to many movies and shows that prefer to just green screen it all. While those choices help provide the look of the piece, it was an exhausting experience that wore on Cavill. But, of course, that would make sense because Cavill has been expanding his roles in other properties.

You might recall that he is a part of the Enola Holmes series on Netflix, as he plays that world’s version of Sherlock. He’s already been cast in other movies, and as you no doubt saw, he’s back as Superman in the DC Comics films. He promised there’s a lot to come with the character, and so filming big-budget movies on top of doing a highly-demanding TV show might have been too much for him. As we outlined in the initial announcement of his departure, Cavill’s time on set was fraught with injuries and illnesses.

When you add all this up, you see the dominos falling. The real question that everyone needs to ask now is whether the Netflix series can handle such a departure. People will tune in to Season 4 to see how Liam Hemsworth does, but whether they like him will depend on just how much like Cavill he is.

Source: Deadline