Why Henry Cavill Is Leaving 'The Witcher,' and What He's Up to Next

Fans of The Witcher will have to get used to a new face under Geralt of Rivia's iconic blond wig and yellow contact lenses. Henry Cavill, who's played Geralt since the show debuted in 2019, is leaving after season 3, Netflix said over the weekend.

This isn't the first time a major character in a TV series or movie franchise has been recast. Don Cheadle replaced Terrence Howard as James Rhodes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the 1960s, Dick Sargent replaced Dick York as Darin, Samantha's mortal husband on Bewitched. That's to say nothing of James Bond or how Doctor Who has recasting built in to the premise of the show. 

Still, for many fans of The Witcher, this is big news. Here's everything you need to know about Henry Cavill leaving The Witcher. 

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What's The Witcher?

The Witcher is a fantasy series on Netflix. The first season came out in 2019, followed by a second season in 2021. Based on a series of novels from the '90s by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski, it tells the story of Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter called a Witcher. Other characters include Yennefer, a sorceress who is Geralt's on-and-off love interest; Jaskier, a mildly annoying bard largely responsible for spreading Geralt's reputation through song; and Ciri, a young girl whose fate is tied to Geralt through a custom called the Law of Surprise.

Why's Henry Cavill leaving The Witcher?

There's no great drama there. Cavill posted on Facebook on Saturday that it was time for him to move on.

"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," he said. Netflix also put out a post on its Tudum website, making the announcement. 

Who will replace Henry Cavill?

Geralt's not going away. Instead, Liam Hemsworth will be taking on the role. You might recognize Hemsworth as Gale Hawthrone from the Hunger Games movies. His brother, notably, is Chris Hemsworth, who plays Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In a statement, Liam Hemsworth said, "As a Witcher fan I'm over the moon about the opportunity to play Geralt of Rivia."

What's next for Henry Cavill?

On Oct. 24, the British actor said via Instagram that he'd be playing Superman again after a brief cameo in another DC Comics character's movie.

"A very small taste of what's to come, my friends," he wrote in the caption below a photo of himself as Superman and a video of him talking about his return. 

Cavill first played Superman in 2013's Man of Steel. In an interview with ScreenRant, he said his goal for the character was to have the audience leaving the theater "feel[ing] like they can fly," perhaps hinting at a less grim take on the character. 

When does The Witcher season 3 come out?

Season 3 of The Witcher is scheduled to come out in the summer of 2023. Cavill will still play Geralt in that season.

How do Witcher fans feel about this?

Over the years, many fans have taken a liking to Cavill grunting and swearing his way through his role as Geralt. Not everyone is happy about the news of him leaving the show, and some took to social media to register their feelings.

There's also a petition on Change.org to bring back Cavill and replace the show's writers instead. So far it has more than 21,000 signatures. 

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