Henry Cavill has hung up the Witcher costume. In his place, Liam Hemsworth will appear as Geralt in the fourth season of the Netflix series. Dissatisfied fans are demanding not only Henry Cavill’s return but also a new writing team.
What is the situation? Just last summer, Henry Cavill returned as Geralt of Rivia in the Netflix-produced Witcher series. As it was revealed about a year ago, this will be the actor’s last appearance as the monster hunter. The director wanted to offer her leading actor an epic finale.
Liam Hemsworth will take his place. He is known for his appearances in the “The Hunger Games” films, as well as being the younger brother of Thor actor Chris Hemsworth. However, fans are currently not very fond of the new Geralt. This is less about Hemsworth himself and more about Netflix’s handling of the source material by writer Andrzej Sapkowski.
According to fans, the series has strayed too far from the books, which is said to be one reason Henry Cavill left the production. In a current petition, fans are therefore demanding a rethink.
Here you see the trailer for the third season:
The series has strayed too far from the source material
What do fans demand? The initiator of the petition “Stef Ma” calls on Netflix to critically question Henry Cavill’s departure. He introduces a quote from the Witcher creator Andrzej Sapkowski at the beginning of the text on change.org, in which it states:
I was more than satisfied with Henry Cavill’s performance as The Witcher; he is a true professional. Just as Viggo Mortensen gave his face to Aragorn, Henry gave his to Geralt, and that should be forever.
Via people.com
The creator of Geralt was therefore satisfied with the choice of the leading actor. However, Sapkowski was never involved in the conception of the Netflix series. Cavill’s departure from the series is not due to the planned filming of “Man of Steel 2,” in which the actor celebrates his return as Superman.
Rather, Cavill was dissatisfied with the narrative development of the Witcher series. The petition states:
Henry Cavill is one of those big fans; he knows everything inside and out and wanted to remain true to Sapkowski’s world, which is why Netflix wants to replace him.
via change.org
The reason for the series’ success is the many loyal fans of the book series.
The petition has already received over 330,000 votes
How is the petition received? The initiator does not stand alone in his opinion. As of December 19, 2023, over 332,000 people have signed the petition. They have every right to make demands, believes Stef Ma:
Netflix can only exist because we all pay monthly for it to produce content that entertains us. Unfortunately, all public information suggests that the production team is making decisions that are completely contrary to the interests of the fans – our interests.
via change.org
Netflix should part ways with showrunners and writers who believe they can supersede the true creators of the stories, it continues.
The current goal of the petition is to reach the 500,000 votes mark. Whether it will be achieved before the start of filming for the fourth season next year remains to be seen. And also whether the petition will have an impact on Netflix’s plans.
What do you think of the Witcher series? Are you fans of the source material? You can pass the time waiting for the fourth season with one or more rounds of GWENT.
