The Witcher Books Author in No Rush to Support Hemsworth: Cavill Is Still His Geralt

Summary:

• After Henry Cavill ’s exit from The Witcher, Liam Hemsworth took over the role of Geralt of Rivia.
• Andrzej Sapkowski, the author of The Witcher Saga, called Henry Cavill’s voice perfect for Geralt.
• Earlier, Sapkowski claimed that the original lead star “forever gave his face to Geralt.”

The drama surrounding Netflix ’s The Witcher has been going on for the longest time and ended rather unfortunately: Henry Cavill, the fan-favorite original Geralt actor, announced his departure from the series. Later, Liam Hemsworth was cast to replace Cavill and take over the iconic white wig and two very special swords.

Most fans were upset with such a development, but that’s old news. However, it’s refreshing to hear a take from Andrzej Sapkowski, the author of The Witcher Saga, himself — and from what we’ve learned, we could guess that he agrees with fans.

Did Sapkowski Directly Condemn the Recast?

During the recent Vienna Comic Con, Andrzej Sapkowski spoke about his future plans for the book series, announcing another spin-off about Geralt’s non-main storyline adventures, and was also asked about his favorite live-action adaptation. It might come as a surprise for old-school fans, but the author chose Netflix’s version.

Sapkowski also pointed out one of his favorite features about Henry Cavill’s portrayal of Geralt of Rivia: his low, grumbling voice that many people compared to Batman ’s.

“I repeat, there are only letters [in my books]. But then I also saw the series from Netflix and I would say the voice of Cavill, that’s right for me. So my own idea of Geralt’s voice, that would be Cavill,” the author shared.

While by no means a direct condemnation of the recast, it’s worth noting that the Vienna Comic Con where Andrzej Sapkowski praised Henry Cavill’s portrayal of the Witcher took place less than two weeks ago — long after the Netflix recast news.

The author’s statement could definitely be seen as support to Cavill amid the exit. Especially since Sapkowski was vocal about his love for Henry Cavill’s version of the White Wolf before.

What Did Sapkowski Say About Cavill’s Geralt?

Back in 2019, at the very start of The Witcher’s dramatic yet glorious TV show adaptation, Andrzej Sapkowski spoke to People and shared his thoughts on the Netflix cast. He was enchanted with Henry Cavill, praising his performance and looks and even claiming that the actor had forever become the face of Geralt of Rivia.

“I was more than happy with Henry Cavill’s appearance as The Witcher. He’s a real professional. Just as Viggo Mortensen gave his face to Aragorn [in Lord of the Rings], so Henry gave his to Geralt — and it shall be forever so,” Sapkowski said.

Unfortunately, the author’s prediction didn’t turn out to be correct as after a long internal conflict with the showrunner of The Witcher, Henry Cavill quit the project. But from these two quotes, we could guess that the author of the Saga was not a fan of the recast. He may yet grow to admire Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt, too, though.

What Do We Expect from the New Witcher?

Things have never been exactly easy for Netflix’s The Witcher: the show strayed too far from the source material for OG fans’ liking and turned out to be too confusing for newcomers with all the character and timeline jumps. Weird costumes and plot accents only added fuel to the flame; so did the behind-the-scenes drama.

But even the staunch critics of the series couldn’t help but praise the original lead actor, Henry Cavill, who took his job very seriously. To properly portray Geralt of Rivia, the actor — who had been a huge fan of The Witcher long before the show — learned to wield blades on a true monster hunter’s level, among many other skills.

Cavill’s dedication and enthusiasm, though problematic in the eyes of the showrunner, have always been praised by fans, and seeing how many people are genuinely upset about his exit, we expect Liam Hemsworth to do his best to fill in his predecessor’s massive shoes. At this point, the White Wolf is not about just acting.

Hemsworth has to show a similar dedication to the role, taking all the extra steps the original actor took: learning more about the universe, his character, and his relationships with Yennefer, Ciri, and Jaskier. Because no one has doubts about Liam Hemsworth’s acting skills — only about how much of a Witcher he really is.

Sources: Redanian Intelligence, People