The Witcher Voice Actor Weighs in on Cavill's Netflix Exit Drama
Doug Cockle, the actor who voiced Geralt of Rivia in CD Projekt Red's The Witcher video games, has recently joined those mourning the loss of Henry Cavill as Geralt.
Eurogamer spoke to him about the series, and this is what Cockle had to say about Cavill's departure from Netflix 's The Witcher project.
"Well I think it's really sad," Cockle said. "And there's a lot of people speculating on the reasons why he's decided to leave, but whatever the reason is, I think it is sad, because Henry, he did a fabulous job as Geralt of Rivia."
The voice actor's portrayal of Geralt has been recognised by industry professionals. He won the Golden Joystick Award for Best Game Performance for voicing Geralt in 2015's The Witcher 3: Wild Hun, and was also nominated for a Game Award for Best Performance.
The two even met once. Cockle recalled how Cavill invited him to the premiere of The Witcher series in London. He said he "never knew what to expect" from the Geralt he knew so well until he saw Cavill on screen. After the premiere, the two actors spent a couple of hours talking about The Witcher universe and what it was like to be Geralt of Rivia.
Robert Purchese, who hosts Eurogamer's One-to-One podcast, asked Cockle what he and Cavill discussed at the Witcher get-together, but the voice actor said he couldn't remember every detail.
"I have a little memory of our conversation. I remember bits and snatches of conversation, but I think I was quite nervous!"
Although Cockle did not remember a lot from the party he did recall that both he and Cavill treated Geralt as a character in the same fashion. "We talked about Geralt and The Witcher. We had some similar thoughts about Geralt if I remember correctly," he said.
They both agreed that the witcher was not just an emotionless creature killing monsters. And Cavill 100% proved it with his performance on screen.
"So yeah, I'm sad to see him go. I wish Liam Hemsworth the very best of fortunes with it. I am excited to see what he does with it but I'm sad to see Henry go," Cockle said, praising him for the fabulous job he did portraying Geralt.
The Witcher game series' fans on Reddit had a chance to share their thoughts on Doug Cockle being Geralt's voice and it is hilarious. One of the players posted a comment saying that most voice actors speak differently in real life, but you can still hear their characters' voices when they speak. A good example is James Arnold Taylor, who voiced Obi-Wan Kenobi. His natural voice sounds almost the same. But this is absolutely not true for Cockle, as his real voice has nothing to do with Geralt's.
Season 3 of The Witcher will be the last in which fans will be able to enjoy Henry Cavill 's performance as Geralt. The baton has been passed to Liam Hemsworth, who will play the character in Season 4. It is no secret that the actor was originally one of the frontrunners for the role, but Cavill had the upper hand. Whatever fans of the series think of Hemsworth, they will have to come to terms with the new normal.
The Witcher Season 3 is scheduled for release in the summer of 2023.